A Need Unknown
by SinTotchi
Summary: Sayah Sparks is definitely not your typical 24-year old – she doesn't watch TV, she lives inside a deep forest, and she's certainly not a social butterfly. Almost all of her past is unknown and disremembered to her, but she never would've imagined she'd find out answers (and more) through just one being embedding himself into her life: the world's most infamous mass murderer, Cell.
1. An Unwelcome Visitor

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is my second Cell story, but it's the first to have more than one chapter (the other was a OneShot). I've been wanting to write a Cell story for years, but never had the time, and sometimes the inspiration, to do so. However, because of all the reading I've been doing lately of other author's Cell stories, it has "reignited" my spark which led me to bring you this! :)**

 **I want to make sure I point out that in this first chapter, Cell might appear a bit OOC, but I promise you I will try my best not to deviate from his badass character persona as much as I can. I want this story to be realistic, as how Cell would really act if he was faced with situations like the ones I'll put him through. ;)**

 **I also want to add, for those of you who have read any of my other incomplete stories, I am NOT abandoning them! Not by a long shot nor any means! I just happened to have most of this chapter already written when I decided to post this story, so I just wanted to go ahead and put it out. I have a little bit of work to do with my other stories (re-reading, editing, character detailing, and such) before I can add another chapter, but I'll try hard not to take too long before I add chappies to them.**

 **Well, without further adieu, I hope you all enjoy and, if you happen to have a few spare minutes, please feel free to leave a review! I look forward to reading them!**

 **Many hugs and love,**

 **~SinTotchi**

 **P.S.: Just in case anyone has a hard time deciphering it, Sayah is pronounced "Sah-yah." ;)**

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A Need Unknown

A smug Cell flew over the landscape, not paying attention to what passed beneath him as his mind settled on thoughts of the upcoming tournament. He had just announced the news over the human's television broadcast station, and he smirked, thinking about the inevitable end that he would bring to this planet. As he continued forward towards where he'd decided to put his arena, he suddenly froze in mid-air, as if he'd been paralyzed.  
 _"What? What is this?"_ He thought, slowly moving to look all around him, trying to understand what could've possibly stopped him from moving when there was nobody on this wretched planet with the power to do so. As if on cue, he looked below him, seeing a large capsule house well-hidden and nestled in between the cover of trees; if he'd been of lesser ability, he probably would've missed it completely. He didn't know why, but something drew him to it, and he slowly descended from the air, being careful not to run into any of the tall trees.  
Once on ground, he moved slowly from one end of the house to the other, circling it and trying to figure out why he'd been drawn here. After a few minutes, he walked up to one of the windows, which allowed him a clear view into the home's spacious living room and the adjoining rooms. Inside, he saw a large couch with what seemed to be a human laying on it length-wise; he couldn't tell for sure at first glance since most of the back of the couch faced the window, but he was able to see what appeared to be human hair curled into a circular shape peering up one side of the couch, and the tip of what seemed to be a soft, purple slipper peeking out the top of the other side.  
Curious, he peeled his gaze away from the window, slowly walking to the front door. _"What the hell am I doing here? There's nothing special about this place…"_ He thought, a small frown forming on his lips as he looked around him one more time. Trees, and lots of them. Whoever lived here definitely enjoyed their solitude and space. He smirked, _"If I had the misfortune of being born a human, I suppose I'd pick a place much like this myself to live in."_ He curled his hand into a fist and raised his arm to knock on the door, hesitating to take a quick moment to think about his movements. _"Why am I bothering to knock? It didn't matter when I was in those towns destroying countless lives and buildings. Yet something compels me to be…careful?"_ He furrowed his brow, getting irked at not knowing the reason behind his seemingly involuntaryactions. He gritted his teeth, knocking on the door but being careful not to use too much force.  
His spectacular sense of hearing allowed him to pick up everything that happened within. He heard the sound of a book closing, followed by a soft, female voice whispering, _"That's weird…since when do I get visitors way out here?"_ which was immediately followed by quiet footsteps walking towards the door. As he listened to the footsteps get closer and closer, he noticed the completely unfamiliar feelings of nervousness and uneasiness begin to rise up in him, but he quickly shoved them aside as he heard whoever was inside unlock the door before opening it, hesitantly.

Sayah opened the door enough to almost peek her head through it, untrusting of whoever, or whatever, was out there. After all, she never got visitors to her home, especially considering how far into the woods she was and how hard it was to even find her house.  
"Hello…can I help you?" She asked, looking up at the taller man, or whatever he was, with her deep green eyes. She didn't recognize him from anywhere, but she felt her cheeks get warm and red as she looked at his face. _"I've never gotten a handsome visitor before…usually it's just a deer or a cat scratching at the door for food."_ She thought, the memory bringing a smile to her face.

Cell stared at her, bewildered. Did she not know who he was? And was she…smiling? He felt a wave of anger rush over him and he reached out suddenly and grabbed the door, watching as she simultaneously let go, and with one swift move he jerked back and pulled the door off its hinges, tossing it aside. He watched her smile disappear and be replaced with a look of both confusion and fear. _"That's more like it."_

Sayah watched, both surprised and horrified at what had just happened. Who the hell was this guy?! As he stepped foot into her house, she began to back away from him, stepping back for every step he took forward. It didn't take long for her to back herself into a wall, at which point she drew her bottom lip in between her teeth and began to bite it, her usual response whenever she was nervous. She looked up at him, her gaze settling on his own and pressing her back gently against the wall, the cold causing her to gasp quickly and arch her back forward, toward Cell's body. Her eyes widened when she did so, now noticing how close they really were to one another and almost freezing in place, afraid to make the wrong, much less any, move.

Cell's smirk never faltered, watching her every move. His eyes ran slowly down her body, tracing the outline and letting out a dry chuckle when she reached the end of the road and he closed the gap between them. He looked down to meet her gaze, watching her arch her back when she touched the wall and move closer towards him, their bodies mere millimeters from touching. Even though she was smaller and in no way powerful, he almost admired the way she refused to move her gaze from his and didn't back down.

Sayah let go of her lip, taking in a sharp breath, her stare unfaltering. "Who…who _are_ you?" She whispered, the fear in her eyes dissipating into curiosity. She wasn't sure whether he was a threat or not – although from the door incident, she could guess yes –, but oddly enough something deep down told her that she could trust him. This conflicted with what she'd just witnessed, her mind telling her that she needed to get ready to fight or flight.

Cell stared at her in disbelief. She really didn't know who he was? His memory flashed back to when he was looking into the window, and he suddenly remembered that there hadn't been a television in sight in that entire room or the adjoining ones. He smiled, noticing that the shelves were full of books and manuals, and the entire house looked more like it belonged to a scientist or engineer rather than a young woman. He moved his gaze back to lock with hers, and parted his lips to speak. "I…am Cell."

The way he said his name gave Sayah goosebumps; she felt as if her breath had been taken away from her and she repeated his name in her head, the four letters echoing and resonating within all corners of her mind. Her eyes never moved from staring into his own, and she began to admire their pink color as she simultaneously, almost absent-mindedly, relaxed and said his name out loud. "…Cell…" She whispered, noticing as his eyes moved briefly to her lips as she said his name, then back to lock with her green ones.

Cell felt a strange wave of pride and satisfaction run up his back to his brain as he memorized both the way her lips moved when saying his name, and her voice as she whispered it. He still couldn't understand what he was doing here, much less why he hadn't killed her yet. This unknown angered him greatly, and he wondered if killing her would answer all of these questions. He considered this the best course of action and he took a step back from her, curling his right hand up into a fist. _"One punch should be more than enough to pulverize a human female,"_ He thought, raising his arm to strike and, just as he was about to land the blow, his body froze, in the same manner as it had earlier when he was flying above her home.  
Trying to figure out what was happening, he wondered if she was doing something, or had some powers he was unaware of. Still frozen, he ran his eyes down her body again, trying to scan for something, anything that could provide an answer. In doing so, his eyes moved from her face down to her neck, continuing on to notice the way her breasts were outlined in the form-fitting shirt, on to the curvatures of her waist and hips, noticing that her curve-hugging shorts stopped mid-thigh and were followed by the long length of her legs. As if on cue, a sudden, seemingly primal instinct arose in him, and an image of the two of them quickly flashed in his mind: he again had her backed up against a wall, but this time her body was higher up against it – was she taller? No, her legs weren't touching the ground, they were… _wrapped around his waist._ Another image immediately followed, of the same situation but this time of her face – it was flushed, cheeks pink and he could see her eyelids partly closed, looking down at him with those deep green eyes as her lips, cherry-red and plump, parted, mouthing his name just as they had a few seconds earlier…or had it been minutes?

Sayah watched him, eyes widening as he curled his hand into a fist and prepared to land the blow, _"Oh Kami, this is how I'm going to die?"_ She shut her eyes tight, taking in a deep, sharp breath and waited…but after five seconds, nothing came. She opened her eyes quickly, half-expecting it to be a dream, but as she set her eyes on Cell, he suddenly seemed to unfreeze from whatever had been holding him back. _"Shit, I should've kept my eyes closed…"_ She thought, eyes widening as she watched him move, almost in slow-motion, and waited for the pain…which never came.  
She heard a loud boom and what could only be described as the sound of trees breaking and rocks being pummeled to dust, but she felt no pain. She let go of the breath she'd been holding, blinking twice and feeling as the adrenaline continued to pump in her veins. Her eyes never moved from the being in front of her, whose face was inches from hers and whose eyes were still locked with hers, yet didn't seem to be…here. In the present.  
Her breaths came out jagged and rushed, and it wasn't until she noticed the familiar feeling of soft locks of hair resting against her shoulders and touching her back that she realized the sheer force of his punch on the wall must've snapped her hairband open, causing her hair to cascade down from the messy bun she'd been sporting to the long, wavy locks she now wore. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cell's left hand resting against the wall on her right side. _"Great, he has me pinned."_ She thought, nervously bringing her bottom lip in between her teeth to nibble gently on, _"Left hand on the wall…right fist creating a massive crater into the side of my house…now what do I do?"_ She silently began to panic, trying to figure out how she could get out of the situation she wasn't entirely sure how she'd gotten into in the first place.

Cell tried feverously to get the images of her out of his brain. Had they been memories? Or visions? Could they have been fragments of someone else's life? Perhaps one of the beings that his DNA was made up of? He thought of this as his punch landed not on her, but on the space to her left, where his right fist made a deep crater not only through her house but a few miles deep into the forest, starting as a large circle where he'd hit and getting smaller as it moved miles away.  
He couldn't understand why he hadn't killed her, or much less why he was even here. The only thing he knew for certain right now is that she was of _some_ importance to him, and as he analyzed various situations he came to the conclusion that she couldn't be someone else's memory, much less future. No, she had something to do with _him_ , and what it was he had yet to discover, which irked him tremendously. He was supposed to be the greatest fighter in the universe, and as such he couldn't have a weakness, which she most definitely would be. As his thoughts continued to run a hundred miles a minute, he suddenly settled on a realization: what if she wasn't some kind of weakness, but rather, a mere weapon to extend his power? Yes, that was it. That must be the reason why he couldn't seem to kill her. Perhaps this was something Gero had planned for him all along.

Sayah watched him as he seemed lost in his thoughts, still nibbling at her lip. Did he even realize that she was still there? She glanced all around her as best she could without moving, trying to find a way out. As the seconds ticked by, she watched his facial expressions go from confused, to angry, to arrogant. She knew he was deep into whatever he was thinking of, and an idea suddenly hit her. It was an idea born purely out of fear for her life and desperation, but at least it was a plan. She could try to kiss him into shock. Yes! That worked in the movies, didn't it? And it just might startle him long enough to give her time to escape and run into the woods and lose him. She stopped biting her lip and took a deep breath, " _It can't hurt to try, right?...I'm probably dead either way…"_ She ran her eyes down his face one last time, trying not to berate herself for the risky and reckless actions she was about to take. _"Well, at least he's handsome…I'm not sure I would've considered the idea as much as I did if he wasn't so attractive..."_  
She tried to relax her body as best she could, closing the tiny, millimeter-wide gap between them. She placed her hands gently on his chest, slowly tracing her fingers up and moving her face closer to his, noticing a strong, masculine scent, which she tried arduously to ignore. Since he was much taller than her, she lifted her body up onto her tiptoes and moved her hands to his shoulders, gripping them gently but almost in an effort to try to get him to move closer to her. She didn't expect him to whatsoever, but even he seemed to relax faintly forward as she lifted her face towards his and placed her soft, warm lips on his.

Cell had been too lost in his thoughts to notice what she'd been doing. He was much too deep in conflict with himself to realize how much closer she'd suddenly moved and it wasn't until his keen sense of smell picked up her scent that he was brought back into reality, just in time to feel her fingers grip his shoulders in an effort to move him a bit closer. Still battling to understand what was happening, much less why he was moving forward and heeding to her touch, he watched in shock as she closed her eyes, and then felt as her warm, plump lips were placed on his own.  
Cell closed his eyes and began to panic inwardly, unsure of what to do next. This wasn't a situation he'd ever been in, and he knew no matter how much information Dr. Gero's computer could've fed him on the subject, this was not something he could ever be prepared for without having actual experience on the matter. Despite this, he knew that a perfect being such as himself couldn't fail; after all, he was just that, _perfect_! As he searched his vast knowledge on the proper response to such an advance, he also began to wonder why he hadn't stopped her or, much less, already killed her for even attempting such a thing. Although he knew he'd be lying to himself if he didn't say he was enjoying it, he also knew that having a mate was something that hadn't ever crossed his mind and, much less, something he'd even entertained the possibility of. He'd always imagined being by himself, moving from one world to the next after his conquests, forever in search of a fighter who was an actual worthwhile opponent.  
Suddenly, the same image from earlier popped into his mind, the one where he'd been looking into her home from the window at the vast living room with bookcase after bookcase, but no TV, and he smirked. Maybe this was another neat little trick Dr. Gero had planted into his programming; after all, Cell had no idea of how far all of his powers could go, which was the reason he'd wanted to put the tournament on in the first place. His smirk got bigger, _"Although I suppose I wouldn't mind entertaining some company for the next ten days, maybe it'll make them go by faster…I can easily rid myself of her once the ten days are up."_ It was at this moment that he was brought into reality once again, noticing that the feeling of soft, warm lips was no longer there, and he snapped his eyes open just in time to notice the smell that had been so intoxicating earlier had begun to fade.

Sayah had waited patiently for Cell to move his arms before even considering doing anything. She knew, by his display of sheer strength to her wall earlier, that she couldn't get him to move by brute force, not even if she'd _had_ any brute force. As she felt him relax slightly, she could also tell that his mind was going a million miles an hour and that he was unsure of what to do. She would've thought it was adorable, had she not been so scared of the fact that he probably wanted to kill her. And even though he'd apparently tried earlier, she couldn't say for sure whether he'd missed on accident or if it was just to toy with her. She could tell by his build that he was definitely a fighter, and had this been under different circumstances – say, he got lost in the forest and needed help getting out, or something like that – she probably would've helped him and, she blushed at the thought since she'd never done it before, maybe even given him her phone number so they could meet for coffee later. Did he even like coffee?  
She was snapped out of her own thoughts when he finally did drop his arms to his sides, her eyes widening at the opportunity. She knew that he was still deep in his own thoughts himself, and hoped that that might give her enough time to run, and fast. She pulled back from his lips and subconsciously drew her bottom lip in to nibble at, as she usually did when she was nervous. She didn't wait for him to open his eyes before moving her hands off his shoulders and stepping out to her right, not thinking twice before taking off into a full-fledged run. Her breaths came in sharp and raggedy as she passed the doorway, trying not to think about the door he'd so easily ripped off its hinges. Her knowledge of the forest came and went in spurts as she tried to run to somewhere she knew she could hide, someplace that wasn't so easy to get to. As she ran, her soft, purple Sherpa slippers barely clung to her feet, obviously not meant to be used as running shoes. As they eventually flew off, she tried to ignore the pain as she stepped on twigs, rocks, bugs, and the like, trying to run as fast as she could to get away. As the pain in her feet grew, she eventually began tripping on large tree roots and overturned rocks, falling to her knees or onto her stomach each time. She could feel herself getting out of breath, and knew that she couldn't run for much longer. Tears of pain stung her eyes as she tried to get up each time she fell, moving slower and slower each time. She knew that he would catch up to her, but how fast she wasn't sure. She fell one last time, even more tears running down her cheeks from the pain. She staggered over to a huge tree, its base being about as wide as five tree trunks put together and more than enough to hide behind. She let out a soft, dry laugh, knowing that this probably wasn't a situation she could hide behind a tree from.

Cell was stunned when she began to run, trying to figure out what had just happened. The feeling of her lips still clung to him, and he stood in silence for a few seconds, his eyes widening at the sudden realization.  
 _She'd tricked him._  
His fists tightened as his mind began to swim with anger not only at her but at himself for falling for such a cheap trick. He had been too deep in his thoughts and too lost in trying to understand what was happening to reciprocate, which must've been exactly what she wanted. She'd solely been looking for an escape, and had used her womanly charm to con him into what he decided was a pitiful attempt to flee from him. His rage flared as he became determined to find her and teach her the hard lesson that comes with deceiving the Perfect Cell. Yet, despite his ire, there was the tiniest part of him that enjoyed it, even if he'd never admit it. It would be something that, he knew, he'd most likely be analyzing for the next few days, but at least it gave him something to do while he waited the ten days before the start of his tournament.  
His mind returned to the present when he suddenly noticed that she was in pain. He wasn't sure how, but something within him was able to detect this extreme state of being for the human female. A low growl escaped him, both from the frustration of not knowing how and from the unrelenting anger of being tricked by what he considered an immeasurable inferior being. He gritted his teeth and suddenly flew out of the house, past the broken door and into the forest, following her scent and catching up to her without much effort. Before he caught up, however, he grinded to a halt when he saw the slippers she'd been wearing earlier tattered and slightly bloody, and picked them up. He held one in each hand and clenched his fists around them angrily, taking off to find her again, this time even more pissed off at the entirety of the situation.

Sayah barely stood up against the tree trunk, her breath heavy and jagged, eyelids closed. She felt something fly past the tree, allowing a gentle breeze to hit her and ruffle her hair, causing her to smile. "Mm, that breeze is nice…" she whispered, tensing up when she heard Cell's voice respond.

"I can make many more of those, if you'd like." Cell boasted, obviously pleased with himself. He tried to keep an arrogant smirk on his face, but he couldn't control the fact that some of it slowly faded once he noticed the shape she was in, seeing the gashes and bruises on her body. One of her tank top straps was off her shoulder, and both the bottom of the tank top and the top and bottom of her shorts had cuts on them, and seemed to barely be clinging onto her skin. He could see how fast her breathing was, and she had her head laying back against the tree, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. If it'd been another situation, he might've been enticed by that look…

"You're going to kill me, now." Her words came out in a statement rather than a question, and she tried to ignore the pain aching her body as she looked at him. Her breath was very slowly starting to catch up, and she pressed her back a bit deeper against the tree, her green eyes never faltering.

Cell watched her, curiously. He now knew that what he'd originally thought, that she tricked him to escape, had definitely been the reason why she'd kissed him. Yet, he had to admit that as he watched her, his anger started to dissipate and, as much as he wanted to carry out what his original intentions had been…something inside him wouldn't allow him to do so. The only possible explanation that he considered feasible was that it was another one of Gero's many 'modifications,' but even despite this, he had yet to see what a simple human female had to offer him that he couldn't get himself.  
…Unless she wasn't just a _simple_ , human female. The thought circled his mind as he took a few steps towards her, eyes traveling down her body again and settling briefly on her top, looking at the shoulder where her tank top strap should've been. The image from earlier flooded his brain, where she wore a similarly enticing look but this time, instead of seeing just her face, or her legs, his eyes seemed to travel down within the vision, seeing locks of her long brown hair resting gently atop her shoulders, where the top's straps would normally be. As his eyes moved further down, he saw that her top was still on, but both of the straps were off her shoulders and she was up against the wall, now nibbling on her bottom lip and her eyes never moving from his. He shook his head quickly, trying to come back to reality as he moved to stand before her.

Sayah watched him, seeing how he froze for a few seconds as he walked towards her. Her green eyes never moved from his, and as he seemed to go deeper and deeper into whatever he was thinking of, she saw his eyes turn from curious, to lustful, as if he was remembering a very intimate time. She felt her cheeks get hotter, trying to ignore her secret wish of wanting to see what he was seeing. _"Kami, what's wrong with me? Here I am about to get killed by this…hot…guy, and I'm over here wishing I could see into his fantasies! There is something seriously wrong with me."_ She thought, closing her eyes and trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, she was startled to see Cell standing right in front of her, causing her to take in a sharp breath and her blush to get an even deeper shade of red. He was so close to her she wasn't sure what to do, and when she tried to press herself further against the tree, she gritted her teeth at the sharp pain that shot up her spine. Her first reaction was to grab hold of what was closest to her, and she suddenly raised both her hands and grabbed his upper arms, digging her fingers into his skin and arching her back.

Cell watched her; she was obviously in a good amount of pain. She seemed to have endured quite a bit to get to where she was, and her trek through the forest had obviously not gone in her favor. He watched her reaction to the quick jolt of pain she'd gotten, and he suddenly became irate at the fact that she was enduring that much pain, albeit he was unsure why he was so angry. He got an idea, unsure of how it'd turn out since it was a technique he'd never tried before, or, rather, never _needed_ to try before, and he reached forward and put both of his hands on her waist. He felt her body stiffen up at his touch, and he moved his gaze to rest on hers, trying to figure out the right words to say to explain what he was doing.

Sayah felt his hands on her waist, green eyes widening as she looked straight into his pink ones. _"This…this is it, I guess. It's a strangely intimate way to kill someone…"_ Her thoughts trailed off, and she felt his hands begin to grow warmer, those same thoughts suddenly focused back on him. She unwittingly moved her hands from his arms to his shoulders, and, as she felt her body become enveloped in a warm, glowing aura, the power she felt was both healing and pleasurable. She closed her eyes, releasing her inhibitions and allowing her body to feel the warm, tingling sensation that began at her toes and slowly made its way up, not noticing that she was pressing her body against Cell's, arching her back away from the tree and digging her nails into his shoulders. _"This doesn't feel painful at all…am I really dying?"_ She opened her mouth in an attempt to speak, but a quiet, feeble moan escaped her lips, just as the last wave of warmth drew out its existence. She barely opened her eyes, drawing quick, shallow breaths and barely registering that her forehead was laying on someone's chest. She noticed the same smell she did when she first got close to Cell, and quietly whispered, "What…did you just do to me?..."

Cell, holding her body up and close against his, didn't think twice before responding, albeit it probably sounded harsh since he didn't really know any other way to speak.  
"I healed you."

Sayah attempted to lift her head up, barely able to do so and merely whispered, "Why…?" Before her eyes closed involuntarily and her body went limp.  
Cell held her in that position for a few minutes, staring down at the human female in his arms. Part of him wanted to leave her there, go build the arena for his tournament, and never look back, but the other part that he couldn't seem to control, much less recognize as himself, would not allow him to make that choice. He was starting to get really irritated at the fact that, for some reason, this particular human was able to make him think or feel differently towards her, yet simultaneously he had no remorse nor reluctance to go out into the world and eradicate what was left of it, which included the rest of the human race. He couldn't wrap his mind around why a perfect being such as himself would have a need for any other being, much less a _human_ , to be kept around for any other purposes besides as a punching bag. This colossal unknown left him with no choice but to take her with him and figure out what purpose she would serve him, and once that purpose had been accomplished, he'd get rid of her and continue on his conquest.

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 **Author's Note: Well, I hope you all enjoyed it! I always love and appreciate any reviews that my readers take the time to submit. I'll upload the next chapter as soon as I can! Many hugs!**


	2. A Woman's Needs

**Author's Note: Hi all! Thanks SO much for sticking with me and for being patient while I wrote up this second chapter. My original intent was to try and get it out before the holidays, but you can see how well that turned out. I plan on starting on chapter 3 in the next few days, probably after my dad comes up to visit tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully I can keep putting out chapters at a steady pace, and in the meantime I'll be reading over my other stories and trying to write down information that I should've done a long time ago, haha. I've been watching Season 5 &6 of DBZ to brush up on my facts and taking notes, as well as watching DBZ Kai for both reasons but also to see what's different. It'd been a while since I'd watched DBZ, so I'm really glad I did! **

**Anyway, on to reviews, and thanks to all of you for reviewing, it means a lot! And I appreciate all of the constructive criticism you all give, as well as the love. You guys help keep me going!**

 **JustSaiyan123: I tried to keep your review in mind while I wrote this chapter; hopefully it's a bit better and not as many word walls, if any! I tried to space out everything better and make more paragraphs overall, instead of giant text blocks, haha. Please let me know what you think, and if you think I should make the paragraphs even smaller, please let me know! I appreciate your input and taking the time to write such a wonderful review! :)**

 **For my two guest reviews, thank you! Hopefully you both like this chapter. For the second guest review, I don't understand French too well myself, but with the wonders of the internet I was able to translate your comment and want to thank you, again, both for reading and for taking the time to review. I really, really appreciate it, thanks so much everyone!**

 **On to the story!~**

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A Need Unknown

Sayah opened her eyes slowly, the burning light from the sun almost too painful to bear. She couldn't seem to register where the hell she was, much less what had happened to her. It all seemed like a bad dream, a pure nightmare, and she hoped that when she opened her eyes, she'd be back at home, probably asleep on her couch with an open book on her face. She took in a deep breath as the light finally began to slightly fade and stop burning, and she couldn't help but notice how unbearably hard the surface of her couch was, giving her the nauseating feeling that she wasn't on her couch at all.

When she opened her eyes fully, she blinked a few times and began to look around cautiously, careful to not make too much noise or movement. She realized that what lay beneath her was definitely not a couch, but instead a type of rock that felt very smooth and warm to the touch. She immediately recognized it as marble, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion before gaining a little more courage to look around, noticing that quite close to her was what appeared to be a very large, tall, pointed pillar. She timidly began to turn around completely, not entirely sure if she even wanted to find out where the heck she was, much less if she had company. She continued, though, and as her eyes made their way around her surroundings, she noticed another spiky pillar before her eyes settled on what she hoped was just a jeering illusion, and not really…Cell.

She took a moment to gulp, now noticing how dry her mouth was as all the recent memories began flooding back into her mind. He was standing a few ways away from her, back turned to her and yet she could distinctly tell that he had his arms crossed, even from the other side of the arena. Her face started to lose its color as she suddenly remembered all of the breaking news stories that had entirely interrupted her music the various times she'd been listening to the radio. She couldn't have possibly imagined this happening, especially since every time those broadcasts came on, she'd taken some refuge in knowing that she lived far, so very far away from those big cities he'd hit that she _almost_ had nothing to worry about…almost. Plus, she vaguely remembered hearing about these people, this group of men that happened to save the earth time and time again; but where she heard that and who she heard it from she couldn't possibly identify. Those pieces of information were like most of her past – evanescent, disremembered, or unknown.

She chose not to dwell on the bane of her existence for too long, especially since she had so many questions to ask this _Cell_ , primarily being why the hell she was here. Everyone in the world seemed to cower before this… _person_ …could she call him a person? His outward appearance didn't quite deem him human, but she wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. But besides that, she didn't understand him supposedly "healing" her, especially if he was such a ruthless murderer like she'd so often heard exclaimed over the radio. Maybe that was something she shouldn't touch upon, but she knew eventually her curiosity would get the best of her; regardless, she also knew she at least had to find out why he'd brought her here.

As she slowly moved to stand, she noticed that all of the gashes and bruises she'd had on her body were gone, and took this time to give herself a once over to ensure she wasn't just seeing things. _"Well I'll be damned…he really did heal me."_ She thought, catching a glimpse of her clothing out of the corner of her eye during her brief self-examination. When she turned her full attention from where the wounds had been to what she was wearing, her eyes widened and her cheeks began to turn pink from embarrassment. _"What, he couldn't 'heal' my clothes, too?"_ She thought abashedly, crossing her arms across her abdomen in a poor attempt to cover her exposed stomach. She wasn't one that enjoyed revealing her skin frequently, if ever, unless she was in the comfort of her home in the middle of nowhere, like she had been when she'd thrown on her comfy tank top and shorts for the evening.

Still using her arms as makeshift clothes, Sayah sauntered her way over to Cell, trying to hide the hints of fear that kept nipping at her entire body. At the same time, she didn't know exactly why she felt some 'confidence,' if you could call it that; she just knew that it was not in her nature to show fear in the face of danger. As she approached, moving closer and closer, she took a deep breath and released it, trying to calm any frazzled nerves threatening to run amok and possibly giving away how she really felt.

She approached Cell from the right, moving to stand in front of him and his crossed arms. She slowly moved her arms back to rest at her sides, waiting to see if he would say or do anything to acknowledge her, and when he didn't, she sighed and realized she'd have to be the first to speak.

"Cell," she asked, her tone slightly louder than normal just so she could make sure she got his attention, "Where are we?"

Cell, who'd been aware of all of her movements since before she even woke up, didn't bother to move nor open his eyes before quickly responding, "Area S point 5, 28 miles east of Eastern City."

Sayah's eyes widened in surprise at how easily he gave up the answer. She had been trying to think of a barrage of questions to ask him to try and pinpoint their location, so she was pleasantly surprised when he answered her without any extra effort. But, she'd been so busy trying to think of those questions, that now she wasn't entirely sure what to say or ask; so, she asked the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Why did you bring me here?"

At this, Cell immediately opened his eyes, trying to think of an answer to the question he'd been asking himself since before their arrival. He kept his eyes from looking at anything other than her face, and he stared directly into her emerald hues before replying with a smirk, "You simply piqued my interest, that's all."

Sayah felt her cheeks flush as soon as his gaze landed directly on her. She didn't know what it was, but she couldn't help thinking about how gorgeous his eyes were. _"How can something so beautiful belong to someone so supposedly evil?"_ She thought, using the word 'supposedly' since she'd never actually seen him do anything bad through her own two eyes. Well, unless punching a giant hole through the side of her house counted…yeah, that should probably count.

"Piqued your interest, huh? And what do you suppose we do while we're here?" She retorted, making a motion with her arms to signal the entirety of the arena, "Play cards? Checkers? Put a puzzle together?" She never moved her eyes from his, as much as she wanted to. She couldn't exactly place it, but something about his smug air of superiority was just rubbing her the wrong way.

Cell immediately frowned at her response, both angry yet surprised that she'd have the courage to speak to him in such a manner. A small part of him wondered if she really, truly knew the extent of his power, or if she only had this bravado because she'd never actually seen him in action. Regardless of what it was, she would quickly learn just how further down on the food chain she really was compared to him. "You'd be wise to watch your tongue," he spoke in an icy tone, to tell her he meant business, "Your pathetic human life means nothing to me, and it won't bother me any to sever that pretty head from the rest of your body." He brought a devilish smile to his face, showing her that he had less than negligible regard for human life.

Sayah felt a shiver go down her spine at his words, but the pompous air he gave off only served to make her even more irritated; and even though she was pretty scared at her core, she knew that anger was starting to win out by a long mile. However, she also knew that she had to keep her head cool, or she really might just lose it. She didn't want to get so angry she'd say, or worse, do something she regretted, even if it probably wouldn't feel but nothing more than a mosquito bite to someone of his caliber.

"Is that so?" She mused, moving her hands to her hips, "Then why did you bring me here, then?" She asked, smirking; she knew she had him there, since he himself had said her life was unimportant.

Cell watched as she moved her hands to her hips, seeing her tattered clothing and hastily moving his eyes back to meet with hers. He couldn't help but laugh loudly at her statement; did she really think she could outwit him in a battle of words? Little did she know he had thousands of years of knowledge, which easily included dictionaries in various languages, at his disposal; he could answer her in Latin if he wanted to. "And you think because I brought you here that makes you special?" He couldn't hold back another laugh, "Senseless girl; I merely figured you'd be entertainment for the next few days until my tournament begins. And once it does, I assure you, you will be properly disposed of." His voice was low and menacing, that same devilish grin from earlier playing on his lips once more.

Sayah listened closely to his words, trying to keep her anger and now considerably heightened fear under wraps, _"So he brought me here simply because I'm the lucky one he happened to come across on his way to this place,"_ she thought bitterly, her hands, now at her sides, clenching into fists, _"I was stupid to think that there was a reason behind me being here, and now I know I definitely have nothing against him to keep him from killing me without even thinking twice about it."_ She bit her lip, an idea suddenly popping into her head, _"Well, if my fate is sealed already, I can at least choose to do what I can about it while I'm still able,"_ She released her lip, the corners of her mouth turning up into a coy smile, _"And if I'm stuck here with a 'supposedly,' since I haven't seen it myself, cold-blooded killer, I can at least annoy and frustrate him as much as I can…even if it kills me. Well…kills me sooner."_ She held back a giggle, managing to see the confused look on Cell's face, brief as it was. Oftentimes, she herself didn't understand why she did the things she did, much less where these ideas came from.

"Well look, if I'm going to be stuck here with you for the next few days, can you at least take me somewhere so I can get a change of clothes? And something to eat?" She wasn't necessarily hungry considering the situation, but she knew she'd eventually need something to stay hydrated and keep up her energy if necessary, especially if she was going to be here a while. She moved her hands back to rest on her hips when she saw him taking his time to consider it, "I know you probably can't tell but my clothes have been torn to shreds, and I also don't think you'll want to deal later tonight with a woman who is cold, hungry, and thirsty all at the same time. I don't think I have to tell you that it won't be pleasant." She added, seeing as his gaze first narrowed at her sarcastic comment, but he shortly after uncrossed his arms, which she responded to by moving her arms back to her sides. She didn't know what he was going to do, but she hoped it had something to do with getting her some new clothes.

Cell recognized that there was some truth to her words, and from what little knowledge he had on the subject, he knew that human females weren't particularly pleasant under the conditions she'd stated. To save himself future bother and annoyance, he decided that it probably _would_ be in his best interests to concede to her request…for now. And if he was going to allow this, then they would only go about it only one way: his way. He would take her somewhere where they couldn't be bothered by other living beings and where she could gather the items she needed quickly and without any intrusions nor interruptions. And, in order to get there, they would use the most efficient way currently conceivable to him – flying, whether she liked it or not. Now, whether _he_ liked it or not was a different matter…he wasn't particularly keen on the concept of having to be close to any human, particularly this certain one that he had more questions about than answers, the main one being why she seemed to be, as much as he'd denied it earlier and for lack of a better word, _special_.

"Fine. I'll take you somewhere where you can collect the items you require." He took a few steps closer to her, closing the gap between them and trying not to laugh at the surprised expression on her face, "Make sure you hold on tight to me. In the unlikely event that something happens and I have to let go of you, I won't swoop down to save you if you fall." He added, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling at the back of his head that told him he'd just boldfaced lied to her. If there was something he absolutely wouldn't do it was lie, but he couldn't help it if it happened without him purposefully doing so. Either way, he didn't want her to get any ideas about trying to test if he meant what he said.

He reached one arm out and wrapped it around her waist, trying feverously to ignore the feeling of his skin touching her bare flesh, and took off into the sky without warning.

Sayah's eyes widened when he stepped closer to her, but she didn't have time to move away before he'd wrapped one _very_ strong arm around her and taken to the air, the sudden jump into the sky knocking the wind out of her. It took her quite a few seconds to regain her regular breathing pattern, yet even still she couldn't say it was completely regular since the air around them felt so dense. Her hair whipped wildly about her, and she didn't bother to think twice before wrapping her arms around Cell's neck, unconsciously pressing her body against his as if it would keep her from falling.

"Holy shit!" She yelled, glancing down and seeing the vast landscape below her. Her face started paling and she gulped, wrapping her arms tighter around Cell's neck, if it was even possible. "Slow down!" She managed to scream, shutting her eyes tight and trying to bury her face in her arm, which still happened to be around Cell's neck. She'd flown before, and she truly didn't mind it…as long as it was within the confines of a plane's sturdy metal walls.

"What was that? Did you say speed up?" Cell responded, smirking and picking up the pace a bit. Although not too much, he didn't want her to get sick and vomit on him or close to him. After a few more seconds of torturing her he finally slowed down, his main reason being that he wanted her to move her face away from his neck as quickly as possible, especially since her hot breath on his skin was making him lose the slightest bit of focus. He had to get her away from him as quickly as possible.

Once he slowed to a decent speed, he smirked when he saw the spot he'd been headed towards barely off in the distance. There wasn't a hint of any living presence in the town, which was just the way he'd wanted it. It didn't take long for them to reach the desired location, and once he found a spot that appeared to have various businesses along a strip, he began his descent and landed in the middle of a road. "Here we are. Now hurry and gather what you deem necessary; I'd like to get back to my ring as soon as possible." He spoke dryly, crossing his arms in his usual fashion and staring at her with impatience.

Sayah released her arm's iron hold around his neck when she felt the ground beneath her feet. She hadn't dared looked around while they were in mid-flight for fear that she would get sick and "accidentally" hurl on Cell, although as funny as it would've been, the consequences would've probably been much more painful than the short-lived laughs she'd have gotten. She glanced at him briefly before deciding to look around, wondering why he seemed so smug until she began taking a good look around the place.

There were clothes and shoes everywhere, as if the person inside of them had simply vanished in the midst of walking, driving, eating, or whatever else they appeared to be doing. Her mouth opened slightly, her eyes widening as her mind was barely able to register what the hell had happened here. Her body froze in shock as she stared at what appeared to be endless piles of clothes all around them, even purses and belts that the owner had left behind. What the hell happened here?

"This…this isn't Eastern City." She managed to croak out, her entire body trembling as the weight of the situation finally dawned on her.

"Of course not, girl. I didn't want any interferences, so I brought you to the place that I felt best suited the situation at hand – Ginger town. Now you don't have to worry about anyone getting in your way and much less about having to pay for the items you claim you need," He smirked, chuckling at her horrified expression, "So hurry. I won't wait on you for long." Cell added, watching as she gulped before taking in a deep breath. The horror in her eyes had yet to dissipate, and his eyes never moved from her form as she shakily began to step forward, trying feverously to avoid stepping on any clothes.

" _Oh god, Ginger town…"_ She thought, remembering the news reports of a green monster that had caused the entire city's population to disappear without a trace. She could barely keep her eyes off the ground as she walked around any clothes she came across, trying hard not to let any tears brim her eyes as she moved. After a while she took a moment to look around, spotting a quaint little café in the distance, and a clothes store that was not too far from where she stood. She made her way to the clothing store, and as she approached the doors her eyes widened and a blush immediately formed on her cheeks. "Are you kidding me?!" She exclaimed, her blush deepening as she walked through the double doors. _"It wouldn't surprise me if he did this on purpose…"_ She thought, trying to keep her composure as she walked up to the pay counter and looked for some bags to put the items in. She found a few large ones and let out a deep sigh, saying a quick 'I'm sorry' to the clothes behind the counter that had most likely belonged to whoever had been working at the time.

She then began to make her way through the store, thanking the heavens that there were regular clothes on the other side of the store, not just lingerie. She then looked through the racks quickly, grabbing a few sets of bras and panties in her size, noticing that there were a few items that caught her attention solely because of how cute and sexy they were. She stared at them for a few seconds before muttering a quick, "Well at least I'll have sexy undies when I die," and grabbing the last few items that were her size.

"Ugh, what is wrong with me…" She whispered, making her way to the other side of the store that contained t-shirts, sweatpants, yoga pants, and other workout items as well as some regular everyday clothes and various types of shoes. She used the remaining bags to stuff them with these items, grabbing some PJs from this side of the store since she'd grabbed some from the other side of the store as well. She didn't know how long she'd have to be out there, so she grabbed quite a few items, especially since she was pretty sure she wasn't going to be able to do laundry anytime soon, and at the last moment spotted some blankets on a shelf near the door and grabbed a few of those as well. When she had finished taking what she figured she'd need, she then left the store and tried to hurry to the café that she'd spotted earlier, which was now quite a few feet closer.

She bit her lip and set the clothes bags down near the door, again moving behind the counter and grabbing some bags that she could fit some food and snacks into. She noticed that they also had some cold bags to put fridge or frozen items in, and she grabbed a few of those before making her way through the back doors to grab what she could out of the stockroom. She tried to ignore the clothes and half-prepared pastries that were on the counters nearby, and grabbed a few plastic utensils that she stuffed into one of the food bags she had in her hand. After getting what she expected would last her a week, she grabbed a sturdy bag and filled it with plastic water bottles that were in one of the fridges in the front. It was heavy, but she'd be lying if she said it slowed her down any, especially since she'd lived in the middle of nowhere for so long and had gotten used to dragging heavy stuff around by herself. She didn't think too much on it as she made her way back out to the street with her other bags, looking around for someplace she could shower and frowning when there wasn't a hotel, gym, or any other place with a shower nearby.

She sighed and started making her way back to where Cell was, making a mental note to tell him to take her somewhere she could get cleaned up and changed. As uneasy as the thought made her, it made her even more uneasy to be covered in dirt and sweat for any longer than she'd had to.

Cell watched her approach, noticing that she didn't seem too out of breath despite all the bags she was carrying. _"The items must not be very heavy,"_ He mused, since as far as he knew human females were even weaker than their male counterparts, and as such were barely able to lift heavy items on their own. When she was within hearing range, he moved his arms to his sides and watched her move closer. "So I take it you've acquired the items you need?" He asked, watching as she slowed to a stop in front of him and set the bags down, unable to peel his eyes away from the abhorrently bright pink bags with the corresponding store's logo on the front.

"Yeah, I believe so. But do you th—" Sayah didn't get to finish her sentence before Cell wrapped an arm around her waist and took off in a similar fashion as he had last time, with no warning or notion that he'd be doing so. She let out a quick yelp when the sheer force of their fast movement knocked the wind out of her again, and she wrapped her arms around Cell's neck and closed her eyes tight until she felt their speed begin to slow down, which she hoped meant that they were about to land somewhere. When she thought she felt hard ground beneath her feet she opened her eyes and let go of Cell, but as soon as she did so he let her go as well and she lost her balance, landing firmly on her rear.

"OW! Was that necessary?!" She yelled looking up at his looming figure and noticing the seemingly irritated expression on his face. Her eyes widened for a moment before she moved her gaze away and huffed, lifting herself up off the ring's smooth surface. She had completely forgotten about the bags until she saw them hovering around him, and after a few seconds they slowly floated to land on the ground next to her. "Ass," She muttered under her breath, picking up the bags and moving them to the corner that she remembered waking up at, self-proclaiming it as her corner of the ring.

Cell watched her, eyes narrowed and trying hard to get rid of the feeling her arms had left when they'd been wrapped around his neck. He didn't bother watching her walk back to 'her corner' of the ring, instead choosing to turn around and try and meditate any and all sensations her skin pressed against his had left during their short flight back to the arena. He kept a mental note to set her straight the next time she tried calling him a foul name; that is, if she even tried it again. He crossed his arms against his chest and let out a deep sigh, trying to focus on bringing himself back to his usual centered state, instead of the slightly frazzled one he was in now. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted in the least throughout his physical and mental training during the next few days, and he sure wasn't about to begin now.

Sayah set the bags down once she'd reached her corner, and sighed once before putting her hands on her hips and looking at them. "Well, so much for getting a decent shower…" She uttered, rolling her eyes before looking through some of the clothing bags and picking out some clothes and undies to wear. "At least it's not the first time I've had to find a place to bathe outdoors," She mused, pulling out a set of travel-size toiletries that she'd found near the cash register counter at the clothing store, "Good thing I saw these…not all hope is lost," she smiled to herself before putting all the items she'd need in one of the smaller bags and pausing to look back at Cell. _"I'm sure he won't even notice I'm gone,"_ She thought, smiling mischievously, _"Lucky for him I have no idea where the hell we are, otherwise I'd be trying to high-tail it out of here…for now, my best bet is to stay here until help arrives,"_ She picked up the bag she'd packed and started to move as quietly as possible, first off the ring and then away from the ring, trying not to make any noise as she moved. When Cell didn't move an inch she grinned in success, and once he was out of sight she began to move further into the forest greenery surrounding the arena, hoping to find any trace of a body of water nearby.

"If I have any luck, maybe some of the animals that live here will help me find one, like they did last time I went too far into the woods," She contemplated, remembering the time not long ago when she'd gotten lost in the forestry near her home, and somehow, as if on cue, a few animals had come out and approached her and helped her find a place to drink and bathe. As far as she could remember, which wasn't very far, she had to admit, she'd been in love with nature and had always had the wonderful luck of attracting animals nearby. She had no idea how, much less when this had started, and had come to learn that anytime she tried to find out more about herself or why things happened to her, she'd always end up with more questions than she'd begun, and that all seemed to culminate around one person's name, a name which she had never forgotten but couldn't seem to dig up any information on.

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 **Author's Note: So, what does everyone think? I know it's slow right now, but I plan on revving it up within the next chapter or two. As I'm sure you all know, we have to set the place, time, and the baseline for everything before things can get, let's say, spicy. ;) Anyone have any ideas on Sayah's background? I tried putting some very subtle hints here and there, but they're probably a little too subtle unless you've watched the Android & Cell Sagas lately. And even then, they might still be pretty small, haha! Anyway, thanks to all of you for reading! Please review, and many hugs! **

**~SinTotchi**


	3. Full of Surprises

A Need Unknown

Chapter 3

 **Author's Note: Hey guys! So sorry for the wait; I actually started this chapter the same night I posted Ch. 2, but with some dumb stuff getting in the way I didn't get to finish it until today. I do plan to start Ch. 4 tonight, and hopefully things will start to heat up from there. ;) I've been trying to decide myself just how…** _ **spicy**_ **, let's put it that way, I want to make this story. I'm not sure whether I should write a lemon or not, what do you guys think? What would you prefer? Let me know, I'd love some feedback from my readers on this! And if you guys have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to pitch them to me. I will work to include them in later chapters! :)**

 **I do want to apologize if the timeline is a bit wrong here; I actually went and made a timeline myself on engineering paper and tried to map it out as best I could to the original DBZ series, just so I could make sure not to mess up the 10 days and what happened during and etc., but just in case there are some mistakes, please forgive me. I really tried! :)**

 **Also, I've been trying my hardest to keep Cell in character so the story has some validity to it, as if it could actually happen in the series. At least that's what I try to tell myself, sniff sniff. Hehe, anyway, without further adieu, here's chapter 3!**

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After a few more minutes of walking, Sayah noticed a few animals peeking at her from behind nearby trees. She stopped, setting the bag she was holding on the ground and crouching down, motioning for the animals to come closer. A squirrel did so, the others hanging back and watching curiously as it approached. Sayah laughed, setting her hands on her knees and looking at the squirrel with a smile. "Would it be too much to ask you to take me somewhere I can bathe?" She asked, pretending that the animal could understand and reaching her hand out to pat its head. The animal seemed to respond and began leading her in a different direction than where she'd been originally headed, causing her to get up and grab her bag. _"There's no way in hell this little guy can actually understand me, right?…But if I didn't know any better, I'd swear he knows exactly what I'm saying…"_ She thought, taking a few steps forward before actually following the small critter, "Well, it can't be any worse than the situation I'm already in, so…lead the way!"

Cell had been able to keep tabs on her by following her movements and listening to her footsteps, yet he found it hard to trace her using her life energy or power level, as most humans had, regardless of strength. _"She's either so weak I can't pick up on it, or dead,"_ He mused, noticing as she kept going further and further into the nearby forestry, _"I don't think she's stupid enough to try and escape, especially since we're quite a ways away from her home…"_ He added, sighing once he noticed that she was almost getting out of range to keep tabs on via hearing and began to wonder what the hell she was actually doing in there. He thought about flying out and trying to find her by looking for her above the trees, but he knew that that would most likely be more effort than it was worth, so he decided he'd take his time and follow the route she used, as to try and figure out why she had gone out there in the first place.

As he walked past the corner of the ring she'd claimed for herself, his curiosity sparked as he saw the pink bags out of the corner of his eye. He wondered what was in there that would require a bag so obnoxiously colored, and he figured it wouldn't do any harm if he satisfied his sudden inquisitive spurt.

His feet made their usual squeaking noises on the tile as he walked over, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to look inside one of the large cerise-hued bags. The sky was beginning to darken, and as he peeked inside he saw what seemed to be various colored fabrics, with some of them having matching lace edges. His right brow raised, he shoved his hand into the bag, feeling the soft materials touching his hand on both sides. He grabbed the first one he thought felt the most curious, and he pulled it out, all of it bunched in his hand besides the hanger. He pursed his lips to one side, trying to figure out what the hell it was while it was still in his hand, and when he spotted the hanger he figured it would probably make more sense to look at it as he imagined it would've been displayed in the store. With a quick 'Ah, what the hell' and a shrug of his shoulders, he grabbed the hangar with one finger and released the item from his other hand, lifting the hangar up to be slightly above his eye-level so the garment would be directly in front of him. It took him a few seconds of staring at the item before he realized what it really was, and his mind unconsciously shoved an image of what it thought Sayah would look like wearing it into his head, causing him to immediately release it and let the item drop to the ring floor. He instinctively held his hand out towards the garment to incinerate it to little more than ashes, but he hesitated when he realized that if he did so, Sayah would know that he'd looked inside there. Half of him was almost mortified of her finding out, while the other half, his usual callous self, couldn't care less whether she did or not. In the end, his rational self won out and he let out a deep sigh, tossing the item back into the pink bag he'd got it from. He lightly shook his head and muttered a quick, 'Get ahold of yourself, Cell' before continuing his walk past the various bags and heading into the forest, pushing the past few minutes' incident into the furthest corners of his mind. Little did he know, that the item he'd happened to pick up had been one of the few that Sayah had mentioned would let her 'have sexy undies when she died.'

"Oh…my…" Sayah let her words trail off, almost dropping the bag in her hand when she arrived at the spot the small animal had led her to. Right in front of her was a waterfall, not a very large one but more than enough for a set of people to fit under. It was enclosed within what appeared to be a shallow pond, but she wouldn't know just how shallow until she got inside. There was a small mist or fog that appeared to be emanating from it, as if the water was warm enough to let off steam, and around this waterfall was a clearing of green grass, surrounded by all the tall trees of the forest that created almost a canopy around it, keeping it hidden from view, yet still with plenty of light that shone through the branches and leaves to illuminate the entire clearing completely. She took a few steps forward, the soft grass crunching beneath her feet as she set her bag on the ground next to a flat rock, peering inside the pool and surprised to be able to see clear to the bottom, where the rocks and algae lay within.

"Am I dreaming right now?" She asked aloud, pinching herself and wincing quickly after doing so. "Okay, definitely not dreaming. But it sure feels like it…this place is amazing." She smiled widely, glancing back at the animals that had gathered enough courage to come closer still, "Thanks, to all of you. This is so much more than I could've asked for!" She giggled childishly, quickly grabbing her items out of the bag and setting them close to the pond, to be within reach once she was inside. She then lay the outfit she would wear out on another rock, and once satisfied, nodded once before pausing to look around for anyone peeking before deciding to take off her clothing. Once naked, she tested the water with her foot, and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't freezing cold, but rather fairly warm, which made sense to her since all that fog surrounded her and the rest of the clearing.

She lightly waded closer to the waterfall, reaching her hand out to touch the crystal clear water in front of her. She noticed that, when standing, the water reached up to her waist, but when sitting on a rock inside of the pond, it covered her entire body up to the upper part of her breasts, leaving her shoulders, head, and neck exposed. When she moved around the pond standing, she would cover her breasts with her hands and arms; although it was unlikely to find a peeping Tom out here in the woods, she didn't want to chance it and it was also a natural reflex to cover herself up when she wasn't within the privacy of her own bathroom at home.

She observed that there was space between the falling water and the rock surface behind it, enough for her to step under said water and have it fall on her head without her body actually touching the wall behind the cascade. She found a rock near the waterfall to sit on, and began rubbing the shampoo into her scalp and through her long chocolate-colored hair. She closed her eyes as she did so, taking note of the sounds of the falling water and remembering the music that she usually listened to while in the shower at home. She began to hum one of the tunes that she always seemed to remember when she was calm and relaxed, or trying to get calm and relaxed; she could never recall where she'd heard it or why it helped calm her down, but she figured it probably had something to do with her childhood.

She opened her eyes and sighed, getting up from the rock and covering herself as she made the short walk to the waterfall. She dipped her head under the falling water and started washing the shampoo out, letting out a deep sigh as she tried futilely to dig up any memories connected to that song. She made her way back to the rock and allowed muscle memory to take over washing her body, as her mind was currently more preoccupied trying to pull any possible recollections connected to her past and her favorite music out of the furthest trenches of her conscious.

She was brought back to reality when she felt something warm and wet running down her cheek, quite obviously not the same temperature of the pond she was in, and she gasped as if startled out of a deep dream. She reached her hand up, shaking off the excess water from it, and touched her cheek where she'd felt the liquid at, pulling her hand back and looking at it in confusion. _"A tear?"_ She thought, staring at it for a while before letting out a soft, almost somber, laugh, "I didn't think that was possible…" She said quietly, reaching her hand up again and wiping her eyes quickly, "I think the last time this might've happened was a few years ago when I couldn't remember—" She stopped when she heard leaves crunching, and she covered her chest instinctively even though she was almost entirely submerged, staring in the direction the noise had come from.

"Is someone there?" She called out, waiting a few seconds and letting out a relieved sigh when a fawn stepped forward, "Holy crap, you scared me," She laughed, shaking her head, "Although I think you're my cue to start heading back. Thankfully I'm almost done…" She rinsed her entire body one last time before reaching for a towel that she'd found at the clothing store, shaking some of the water off her feet once she stepped out and wrapped the towel around herself. She grabbed her hair and squeezed the water out of it, muttering something about long hair taking forever to dry before drying her body off and putting the underwear that she'd brought with her on. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink since she wasn't used to wearing something so flirty even just as underwear, but she didn't think too much on it before putting on a form-fitting purple t-shirt and a pair of slightly loose sweatpants that still managed to outline the curvature of her hips. She then put on a pair of extremely light and flexible sneakers, smiling as she took a few steps in them around the clearing.

"Oh wow, these are so light…they remind me of ballerina slippers," She noted, looking at the animals that had gathered around the clearing and were watching her inquisitively, "Don't ask me how I know that, I just… _know_ ," She put her hands on her hips, laughing softly and lifting her hands up defensively, "Oh you want me to prove it? Well fine…I'm not wearing the right attire nor shoes, as light as these may be, but I'll try. I don't practice this daily or anything so don't be too hard judging, alright?" She took a few steps away from the animals that watched her curiously, and stepped into a part of the clearing that had more space for her to move around in, _"I must be going crazy thinking animals are asking me to do ballet,"_ She thought, standing still before closing her eyes, the tune she'd been humming earlier playing through her head as if on stereo.

Seemingly on cue, she began to perform a mixture of ballet moves, ranging from Grand Jete's to Double and Triple Fouettes, ending with a 540 Battement en Rond. When she was done, she took a few deep breaths and stood up, putting her hands on her hips and looking up towards the now-darkened sky. "It was a terrible idea to do that without the proper shoes," She huffed, trying not to laugh and to ignore her throbbing feet, "I hope you guys liked it. I'm going to be feeling it for the next few days," She joked, a big grin on her face as she noticed the pain already starting to dissipate, but choosing not to think too much on it since this wasn't the first time it'd happened.

"I better start getting back, I'm surprised Cell hasn't come looking for me wanting to rip my head off," She uttered, quickly throwing everything back into the pink bag and picking it up hurriedly, "Although maybe he thought I'd get eaten by wild animals and didn't bother looking," She laughed, winking at the animals that were watching it curiously, "Well if you can understand me, thank you and I'll be back soon, I hope!" She took off in the direction she remembered coming from, her damp hair flying behind her and starting to dry off quicker from her fast movement.

Cell had found her while she was still bathing, but he refused to watch her do so and had turned to begin to head back to the arena when he'd heard her gasp, causing him to look back momentarily. He saw her wiping away a tear and listened to her talk to herself, beginning to wonder if she had started 'going crazy,' as the humans called it. He turned around and set his back against a tree, crossing his arms and remaining still as to not alert any of the surrounding wildlife as to his presence, especially since they tended to me much more keen at doing so than humans were. He listened to her movements and had decided to head back again, when she suddenly started talking to what he now realized were the animals near her, causing his curiosity to spark up and making him turn, now facing her and the clearing she was in. He'd recognized the tune she'd been humming earlier as classical music, which surprised him since as far as he knew, classical wasn't a very popular genre within the humans of this era. He didn't have too much time to think about it before he watched Sayah performing very difficult ballet moves, and he knew of their difficulty due to the vast knowledge he'd been given by the computer at the command of Dr. Gero. He hadn't noticed his jaw dropping and eyes widening as he watched her, and it took him but a few seconds to realize that the tune she'd been humming earlier matched up perfectly with the movements of her body as she danced now.

When she stopped, he was even more taken aback when she mentioned that she needed to get back to the arena, half-expecting her to be trying to find a way to get as far away from him as possible. He knew he could beat her back to the ring without her even knowing that he was nearby, and he did so in the blink of an eye, quickly moving back to his usual spot to stand in the ring with his arms crossed. As he closed his eyes, his mind couldn't get rid of how graceful and elegant she'd moved, even without the proper attire. He couldn't help thinking that something wasn't adding up about her, and he recalled the moment earlier when she'd shed a tear, remembering that she'd mentioned something about not thinking it was possible and that she herself couldn't recollect when the last time she'd done so had been.

He'd been so deep in thought that he'd barely realized that Sayah had made it back to the ring, only fully noticing her presence when she'd gotten back onto the floor of the arena. He didn't bother turning, listening as she set her bag down near her items and rummaged through some of the other bags, which he assumed was for food.

Sayah grabbed a trio of blankets she'd gotten from the clothing store, and set the smallest one on the ground to lay on. She then rolled another one up to use as a pillow, and set the last one down to lay under, all of them being used as a makeshift bed. She glanced over at Cell as she grabbed an energy bar, wondering if he'd eaten anything as she opened the wrapper and took a bite, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a couple of sips. She figured this would be enough to tide her over through the night until she ate something for breakfast the next day, and as she glanced at Cell again, she decided that she'd offer him something to eat in the morning, since he'd most likely gotten something for himself while she'd been gone.

Once she was done with her energy bar, she took another set of drinks from the water bottle before trying to make herself comfortable under the blanket, still able to feel the arena floor through the other blanket she'd set out.

"Goodnight Cell," She uttered quietly, almost whispering as if she didn't really want him to hear, for fear that he wouldn't respond well. She was too tired to try and argue right now, so she figured it would be best to say it quietly, since she felt it would be too impolite not to say anything at all.

Once morning came around, Sayah stretched her arms and yawned, suddenly remembering where she was. She let out a sigh, getting out of the blankets and folding them before putting them up and grabbing the change of clothes she'd wear for the day. She hurried into the woods to change behind a bush, putting on a pair of black yoga shorts and a v-neck tee that fitted to her body, as well as pulling her hair up into a messy bun. She'd noticed that during the day the weather around there got pretty warm, and she didn't want to end up getting too hot in some sweats or something similar. Once she finished changing she walked back to the arena, deciding that it was probably time for her to find something for breakfast.

She looked at Cell every once in a while as she looked through the bags from the café, pursing her lips to the side. _"I didn't even think about getting any food for him while we were out…how selfish of me,"_ She thought, letting out a tired sigh, _"Even if he's an ass I can't just sit here and eat while he's probably starving…I'll offer him some. If he refuses, well that's on him, 'cause I tried,"_ She added, her lips turning up into a smile as she grabbed a blueberry and a chocolate chip muffin, along with two bottles of water.

Her sneakers made soft sounds on the arena floor as she made her way to him, carrying the items. She slowed down when she'd reached his back, biting down on her lip nervously as she walked around him to face his front.

"Cell?" She asked quietly, watching his face for any response.

"What do you want?" Cell responded harshly, opening his eyes to look at her and hoping he'd frighten her away so he could have more time to think.

"Oh! Um…" Sayah took a step back, her cheeks starting to turn red under his gaze. There was something about his eyes that just made her knees weak, and it certainly didn't help when she was trying to put on a brave face in front of him. _"Damn, this would be so much easier if he just kept his eyes closed…"_ She thought, nibbling on her bottom lip again before continuing her answer, "I just brought you a muffin and some water to share," She peeled her gaze away from his and set the water bottles next to her, "I thought you might be hungry or thirsty, or both, so I wanted to offer you some," She held the muffins up closer to him, one in each hand, "See? I'll even let you choose the flavor you want," She smiled, her eyes not moving from his as she stood, curious to see his reaction.

Cell, surprised, looked down at her hands and then back up at her face, seeing the large smile she had on her lips. _"Is she really…does she not realize I'm not her friend?"_ He thought, a scowl replacing the usual line on his lips as he struggled to try and understand the small female in front of him. _"I'll show her what I think of her peace offering,"_ He added, his eyes narrowing and never moving from her face.

"I'm not your friend, foolish girl," He hissed, this time aloud and to her face. Without any effort, he reached his hand out and smacked the food out of her hands, not bothering to see where it landed on the ground or arena, "And for your information, I don't need food or water like you _pathetic_ humans do to survive," He spat coldly, watching as the smile disappeared from her lips without leaving a trace, "I can survive anywhere, without any type of nourishment necessary, even in space," He snarled, crossing his arms again and waiting to see if she would have the guts to do anything in response.

Sayah's hands, to her surprise, barely stung from him slapping the food out of her hands, and she guessed it might've been because he was probably not trying to hurt her too badly…for whatever reason, even though it made no sense. Regardless, she felt her anger starting to rise at his outright rude and childish behavior, and she glared at him, this time his beautiful eyes having no effect on her whatsoever.

"What is your problem?!" She yelled, moving her finger to point at him, "How the hell am I supposed to know that you don't need some type of sustenance to stay alive? I mean _excuse me_ for assuming, but I was just trying to be nice!" She added angrily, moving her hands to rest on her hips, "No need to be so rude about it. What happened to a plain old 'No thank you,' or even just 'No'?! You are _such_ an asshole!" She shouted furiously, simultaneously throwing her hands in the air before her lips set in a thin line as she glared at him, hoping to pierce a hole through his soul.

Cell almost couldn't believe how blatantly disrespectful she was being; did she have no regard for her life? Surely she knew that he was stronger than her – much, much stronger; in fact, so much so that he couldn't even compare his ki to hers because he didn't detect ki coming from her at all, and if she wasn't standing in front of him breathing and moving, he would've sworn that she wasn't even alive.

He felt his rage begin to take over, and he balled his hands into fists as he approached her, ever so slowly. "You dare to speak to me with such vulgarity?" He growled, his arm moving so fast to grab her neck that it would've been impossible to see to an ordinary person, "You need to learn your place, human _filth_. I assure you I've been cordial up until now, but you are stepping quite out of rank if you think I'll allow a much lower life form to speak to me in such manner," His fingers began to close tightly around her throat, and a devilish smile creeped onto his face as he watched her facial expressions while he talked.

Sayah's hands instinctively grabbed his arm, her face a mixture of fear, anger, and repugnance as she stared at him, emerald eyes locked against his fuchsia ones. She could feel the pressure of his fingers on her neck closing slowly, and it was a few mere seconds before she felt herself being lifted off her feet, eyes widening even more than they already were. "C-Cell…" She managed to croak out, seeing the look of pure malice on his face as he watched her struggle against his grip. She didn't know much about him, but one thing she did know was that the Cell standing in front of her now was a completely different one than the one who'd actually _healed_ her the day before.

Cell didn't know what it was, but there was a feeling deep down inside of him that was screaming at him to let her go and not harm her, but he blatantly ignored it and chose to allow his anger to lead his actions. While he continued to elevate her further and further off the ground, there was a wicked smirk playing on his lips as he raised his free hand and placed it directly in front of her belly, a small ki ball forming out of his hand and growing slightly larger each second that passed. "How does it feel to know that you will meet your end at the hands of the strongest, most perfect being in the universe?" He uttered lowly, his words dripping with venom as he watched and waited for her response. It didn't take long before he felt another presence around them, one that he knew too well, and his eyes peeled themselves away from Sayah's to look at the person who'd so discernibly interrupted his fun.

"Ah, Goku. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Cell uttered casually, ki ball retracting into his hand as he straightened up, grip loosening slightly on Sayah's throat.

Sayah felt the heat close to her stomach dissipate, and she strained to see this newcomer out of the corner of her eye, noticing Cell's hold on her throat slackening, even if just a little. She took as big a breath as she could, considering she was still midair and trying to break free of his hold, as futile as it may be. She listened to Cell and this 'Goku' exchange some words, amidst of which Cell lowered her back to the ground and released the grip on her neck, only to shift it to her arms when he moved behind her, now using one hand per arm. She looked at the newcomer's golden hair and muscly form, figuring that this was probably someone who could stand their own against Cell, considering he didn't seem to be afraid of him nor impressed by his superhuman strength.

"Please tell me you're here to get me home," She spoke up during a brief silence, her eyes and voice pleading with him, "You can't leave me here with _him_. He'll kill me before the day's over!" She attempted to struggle out of Cell's grasp, thinking she'd done it at first when he let go but soon realized she was wrong when Cell just reached out and grabbed her again, more firmly this time, and pressed her back against his broad chest.

"What do you plan to do with her?" She heard Goku ask, causing her to tense up even more in Cell's hold, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"That is none of your business, now is it?" Cell responded, allowing the biggest smirk he could muster to play on his face, "I can do with her as I please," he added, lifting a hand up and wrapping a lock of her hair around his index finger, looking at it briefly while chuckling maliciously. He had to admit that Sayah had very much surprised him when she'd been able to break free earlier, as it was a feat he doubted any regular human could do, but he didn't have much time to think on it since they did have a visitor, after all.

Upon hearing this, Sayah's eyes widened and she tried to free herself from his hold but again, it was futile, and in response Cell pulled her back and pressed her even tighter to his chest, making her cheeks begin to turn red. _"Oh no…I can't believe I'm blushing. Damnit, why does he have to have such a…broad…chest?"_ She thought, shaking her head lightly before letting out a frustrated sigh and listening to Goku's following words.

"I'll make a wager with you, Cell," Goku spoke up, fists tightening, "I'll fight you first if you don't harm her, and if you leave everyone out of this for the next 9 days until the tournament…that includes today. Understand?"

Cell's smirk widened, allowing a deep, hearty laugh to escape his mouth and lungs, "Very well Goku, I accept your wager. I _promise_ I won't hurt her, nor anyone else…as long as they keep their distance."

Sayah watched as Goku, who seemed satisfied with this, disappeared into thin air without a trace. Her jaw dropped and she quickly looked around, trying to find out where he'd gone, when she heard Cell whisper an 'I must ask him where he learned that,' causing her to remember their close proximity and tense up, a breath catching in her throat.

Cell felt her tense up again, and he looked down at her, suddenly noticing her exposed neck and the slightly plunging neckline of her v-neck shirt. It didn't take long for him to discern the flush on her cheeks as well as exactly how close her body was pressed against his, and he tried to quell the strange feelings that rose up within him before roughly letting her go, almost pushing himself away from her. He'd had the sudden urge to touch the bare skin on her neck, not roughly like he'd done moments earlier, but softly and tenderly so he could know what it felt like, and to admire the smooth and soft complexion of the petite female so close to him. He didn't do so, of course, and as soon as the compulsion had come, it was gone, more so from him suppressing it than anything else.

He walked back to his usual spot on the arena floor, which wasn't too far from where they'd been standing, and turned his back to her, crossing his arms as if nothing had happened.

Sayah caught herself after her stumble forward from Cell letting go, and she tried to catch her breath as the previous moments' events replayed in her mind. _"What the hell…what just happened? I guess that blonde guy was Goku…I can't believe he actually trusts Cell to keep his word,"_ She thought, her gaze moving to look at Cell's back, which was now facing her, _"He did seem pretty strong, though. I guess if he can take Cell at his word, so can I…although I'm sure I'll find out sooner rather than later."_ She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck tentatively before heading over to pick up the muffins Cell had so rudely slapped away, "Lucky for me they're individually wrapped, so as long as they're not pulverized into crumbs they should be fine…I hope." She pursed her lips to one side, glaring at Cell's back as she sauntered past him, hips swaying to and fro as she jumped off the arena and onto the grass. This was going to be a _very_ long 9 days…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, what did you guys think? As usual, please let me know your comments in a review, and if you have time, let me know how saucy/spicy/sexy/etc I should make the *intimate* moments in the story. ;) Ask and you shall receive! There's a chance that CH4 will be longer than usual depending on how far I want to get in those 'moments' before deciding to split into another chapter, but I'm not sure yet. Just a heads up, in case it happens.**

 **Anyway, many hugs to you all!**

 **~SinTotchi**


	4. The Only Reason

A Need Unknown

Chapter 4

 **A/N: Hello everyone, long time no see! I didn't abandon this story, I promise. I have just gotten really inspired lately, and felt like writing, so don't be surprised if you see the next chapter pretty soon. At least that's the plan! Oh, apologies in advance if you see some typos. It's almost 7AM and I've been working on this, so I did my best at the moment! Hehe, oh and as usual, thank you all SO much for your reviews! You guys are the best!**

 **Anyway, without further adieu…**

* * *

Sayah sat on the edge of the ring, her legs hanging off the side as she stared at the mostly-crumbled muffin in her hands. She was back to 'her side' of the ring, near where all of her items sat close to the pillar. There were so many questions going through her head that she was having a hard time trying to make sense of them all, but the main question still ringing clear: why was she here? Cell hadn't quite given her an exact answer, and she didn't count him weaseling his way out of her question a real answer, either. There had to be something more, but what? What could he possibly want with her, if she really was such an insignificant being, as he put it?

She kept turning the wrapped muffin over and over in her hand as she tried to understand his thinking, but she knew she was getting nowhere, and she was beginning to drive herself crazy from the sound of the plastic wrapper crinkling and crunching over and over again. During all this time she'd barely been able to eat a fraction of the blueberry one, even though that was the one that was the least destroyed of the two. She sighed in frustration and figured that her best bet would be just to ask him, yet again, and hope that he wouldn't kill her; although, she was pretty sure he was going to do so anyway, at least eventually. She figured she had nothing to lose and got up, dusting some of the blueberry crumbs off her lap, and began to walk over to him, carrying the muffin he'd pretty much decimated in her hand.

She tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in her stomach as she got closer, and finally walked around to face him. She lightly cleared her throat and placed one hand on her hip, the other still holding the pastry; even if she didn't exactly feel confident deep down, she wasn't going to show him that.

"I forgive you."

Cell's eyes snapped open, staring at her as he held back a laugh. "Excuse me?" He didn't understand where this was coming from, especially when she had nothing to forgive him for; and even if he did, he wouldn't seek forgiveness, much less her forgiveness, for it. He'd already killed hundreds, probably thousands of innocent humans, so what did he care what she felt about him?

Sayah held up the muffin, her gaze unmoving. "You destroyed my muffin…chocolate chip is my favorite." She said quietly, almost as if testing to see if he could hear her. She was also trying to figure out the words to ask him everything she wanted to ask him, without threatening another incident like what they'd had earlier.

Cell stared at her, bewildered. Was she serious? Was she really being serious right now? He gritted his teeth slightly, his impatience getting the better of him. "Do you really believe I care what you think, girl?" He hissed, trying to figure out what her angle was, "Get away from me and back to your corner before you regret it." He growled, not bothering to see if she'd move before closing his eyes again, trying to ignore her.

"Or what?" Sayah asked, taking a step towards him. "What are you going to do? Finish what you started earlier?" She really wasn't meaning to go there, but his arrogance and attitude was really putting her off, "Because that's what you're going to do eventually anyway, right? And that Goku guy won't be here to stop you," She took another set of steps, "So go ahead, do it. But first tell me the real reason why I'm here, because I don't believe for a second it's what you told me earlier." She couldn't tell exactly where all this confidence was coming from, and this wasn't at all what she had planned the conversation to go like, but it was too late to turn back now.

Cell uncrossed his arms as he opened his eyes to stare at her. Did she want to die? Because she was sure heading in that direction. "Yes, that is probably what I'll do eventually," He retorted, a menacing smirk tugging at his lips, "But if you want that time to come sooner, then I can work with that." He began to take a slow step towards her, watching as she froze in place as he did so.

Sayah got a chill down her spine when she saw the look on his face, and she tried to not move for as long as she could as he walked towards her, eyes never faltering. It didn't take that much longer before she started backing away from him, seeing the look of pure enjoyment he got when he realized she was afraid. _"I'm having deja-vu of my house all over again,"_ She thought, hoping he'd stop before she walked off the side of the ring.

"What's wrong? You were so confident when you walked up to me," Cell spoke lowly, menacingly, noticing that she was going to back herself up against one of the pillars in a short distance, and letting out a loud laugh when she did. "Where did all your bravado go?" he added, the pure look of panic on her face making him smirk even bigger, and he walked up to an uncomfortably close distance, having too much fun toying with her to really realize how close he was.

Sayah touched the pillar with her hands, feeling the cold, smooth surface and trying to keep her back off of it. She didn't want to have another unnecessary reaction like last time and put herself even closer than they already were. She took a few short, quick breaths, still trying to save face and look confident as she stared into his magenta eyes. "You haven't answered my question, Cell. Why did you bring me here?" She was having a tough time trying not to bite her lip out of pure nervousness, but she didn't want to show him just how afraid of him she was.

Cell shifted his body a bit, placing one hand against the pillar, next to her head, and lowering himself slightly to be closer to her eye-level, "I already told you, you piqued my interest," He uttered, looking over and reaching out to grab a lock of her hair and twisting it in the same fashion he'd had when Goku had shown up.

"No. What is your reason?" She asked, trying to keep the courage in her voice, "The REAL reason, Cell. Tell me!" She was starting to get frustrated, and moved her body forward towards him, trying to show him he didn't intimidate her.

Cell let go of her hair, chuckling sinisterly as he turned to meet her gaze, "My dear, what makes you think I have any other reason than to toy with you?" He let out a loud laugh, "You are merely a trinket to pass the time until the day of my tournament arrives. Nothing more." He said quietly, almost whispering as he watched the reaction on her face. Something deep down nagged him, as if knowing that what he had just told her wasn't true, but he wasn't about to tell her that, especially if he didn't know the real reason why himself.

Sayah's mouth opened slightly in horror, her eyes narrowing, "So that's what I am to you?! Some messed up experiment?!" She yelled, not even realizing what she was doing as she lifted her hand to slap him, and trying again with her other hand when he caught her first attempt. "What is wrong with you?! Are you really this heartless?!" She added, barely registering that he had pinned her wrists above her head, and her back was now completely against the pillar.

Cell's quick reflexes managed to catch her before she could lay a hand on him, but he had to admit that she had more strength than she let on. He could say he was having a hard time keeping her pinned…for a human. She, of course, paled in comparison to him, but it was a little too late when he realized that he was having to press himself against her to keep her there. _"Who the hell is this woman? She shouldn't have this much strength, especially with practically no energy signature…"_ He thought, suddenly feeling her heavy breathing gently tickling his face as he stared down at her. His face showed no traces of what he'd just been thinking, but instead he just kept staring at her, trying to figure the petite woman out.

Sayah's eyes started to brim with tears as she looked up at him, trying to fight back those same tears that were threatening to spill onto her face, "So this is why you healed me," She said quietly, her green eyes seeming to twinkle in the arriving sun, "Just so you could keep me around to slowly kill me yourself to pass the time." She smiled sadly, staring into his magenta eyes to try and make sense of what he'd just told her, "You know, when you did that I didn't want to believe everything I'd heard about you. I couldn't possibly believe that someone who saved me would also be capable of killing so many innocent people," She moved a few millimeters closer to his face, so she wouldn't have to speak any louder than she had to for him to hear her, "But now I know it's true what they say about you. You really are a _monster_." She moved her face away from his and rested the back of her head against the pillar, closing her eyes and ignoring the wet drops she felt running down her cheeks. She relaxed her arms and felt as he let go of her wrists without any resistance, opening her eyes again when she felt a sudden gust of wind, and looked up just in time to see him taking off into the sky.

* * *

Sayah hadn't bothered to wait for him, knowing that he'd eventually come back, but also knowing it definitely wouldn't be for her. If he came back it would solely be to act on the single purpose he said he'd had for her, but she'd be lying if she said she at one point hoped it'd been for something else. Even though she hadn't waited for him, she had still stayed in that same spot he'd left her, after she slid her back down the pillar until she sat, just staring into the sky and letting the soft breeze dry the tears onto her cheeks. She felt like an idiot, actually believing that someone like him could have a tiny shred of decency and maybe even care for human life, or at least her life. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw what seemed to be shooting stars in the sky, causing her mouth to fall agape and for her to stare stupefied at what seemed to be an unnatural phenomenon. "Shooting stars? In the middle of the day?" She asked aloud, her mind immediately drifting to Cell before she shook her head and stood up, walking back over to her spot on the arena. "There's no way he'd do something that…nice. If anything, he's probably just blowing them up or something." She mumbled, flopping down near her things and trying to find something to occupy her time while she waited for her impending doom.

A few hours passed, and when it had gotten dark she grabbed some clothes from her bags and began to walk in the direction of the spring she'd found, or been shown. She took her time, stopping to admire the various flowers in her path, muttering "I may never see them again, might as well enjoy them," as she did so.

When she finally arrived, she set her stuff down on one of the nearby rocks and sighed, sitting on the ground. She stared at the waterfall, smiling slightly and appreciating its beauty, while simultaneously wondering how it even got there. She sat like that for a while, what felt like hours but were probably minutes, without saying anything at all, just watching the water fall into the pond and listening to the relaxing sound that made.

Cell landed on the arena's surface, immediately noticing that Sayah was absent. He ignored the sudden feeling of loneliness deep inside and shoved it under an even stronger feeling of anger, gritting his teeth and muttering, "She better not have tried to escape." He walked over to her items and saw that most everything was still there, save for a few clothes since one of the bags wasn't as full as he remembered. He growled and began to walk in the direction of the first place he could think she would be, hurrying to get there but simultaneously being careful to make not much noise or movement of his surroundings.

When he arrived, he slowed down and noticed Sayah just sitting there on the grass, staring at the water. He tried to figure out if she was actually looking at something or just staring absentmindedly, and he got his answer when she shifted a bit to put her hands behind her, still sitting with her knees bent up, and leaned her head back to look up, to what he assumed was the sky.

Sayah's emerald eyes sparkled under the moonlight, and she stared through the canopy of the trees at the stars above, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips.  
"Do you think the stars know how beautiful they are?" She spoke quietly, to no one. "I wonder how many more times I'll get to see them before he kills me," she added, her smile never faltering as she peeled her gaze away from looking up to look around, "Or this waterfall. Or those flowers…or even this grass." She ran one of her hands lightly atop the patch of grass next to her, letting out a sad laugh, "You know, I never even got to figure out who I am…" She said, this time more quietly, adding, "Or my background, where I came from…I don't even know if Sayah is my real name." She was surprised when she felt a tear rolling down her cheek, and she reached up suddenly to wipe it away, staring at it on her hand for a few seconds before she got up.

"Ugh, what am I doing. I can't believe I'm crying about this right now. As if I haven't cried enough the past few years. I don't even know how long it's been," She muttered, taking a few steps closer to the spring and staring at the water.

She'd been whispering quietly, so quietly that any regular being wouldn't be able to hear, but Cell had no problem hearing or understanding her words. Sayah had suddenly become even more intriguing to him, and he wondered if this past she couldn't remember had anything to do with why he'd felt compelled to stop and take her. He kept watching as she got up and went over to the waterfall, eyes widening when he saw her suddenly take her v-neck off to reveal a bra, although he could only see the back of it. He was too shocked to move at first, not getting a chance to turn around before she had also removed her shorts, which exposed a matching set of underwear with some lace on the trim. Before anything else happened, he turned around and crossed his arms, trying to ignore the fact that his face felt slightly hot, almost as if he were blushing. He shook his head vigorously, and was about to mentally berate himself when Sayah's voice interrupted him.

"Where did he come from?" Sayah asked aloud, still thinking she was alone, "I mean, where does he get off thinking he has the right to decide when I live or die?" She stepped into the warm water, being too into her thoughts to realize she hadn't taken either of her undergarments off before she got in. "If anyone, I should get to make that choice. I should be able to take that choice away from him," She added, simply standing in the spring as she muttered to herself. She picked up some water and splashed it on her face, trying to get rid of the tears that had dried, "Maybe I can…maybe I _can_ take that away from him!" She added, smiling before realizing she hadn't gotten her hair wet yet. She took in a deep breath, pinching her nose before plunging herself down into the water.

Cell couldn't tell the exact feelings he was experiencing, especially since they were so unfamiliar and so unlike his usual states of anger, arrogance, or boredom. He turned around when he heard her last sentence, eyes widening as he watched just in time to see her dive into the water…and not surfacing immediately. _"She couldn't actually be doing what I think she's doing…right?"_ He thought, waiting a few brief seconds before suddenly rushing over and pulling her out of the water, unwittingly putting her between himself and a large tree with a wide trunk. He was still holding her arms in the same way he'd done to grab her out of the water, and he shook her gently before yelling, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Sayah's eyes opened wide when she realized just who had taken her out of the water. She hadn't even thought about the fact that she was in her underwear, because she was too busy trying to figure out what Cell was doing there. "What was that for?! So not only are you playing Grim Reaper, but you get to dictate how I bathe, too?!" She yelled back, trying to push him away but only managing to move him slightly, unwittingly leaving her hands on his chest, "What are you doing here? Can't I take a bath in peace?!"

Cell stared down at her, suddenly noticing how the moonlight shone upon her face, illuminating the tiny water droplets on her skin. He strained to quell the feeling that arose in him wanting to touch her, and tried to focus on his anger for her actions instead. "Well you weren't taking a bath, now were you?! You were trying to drown yourself!" He accused, shortening the distance between the two of them and looking down, so she would remember he had more power than her.

"What?!" Sayah exclaimed, only shortly surprised before it changed to anger. "Oh I see, you thought I was going to kill myself, so you decided to 'save' me so you could have more time with your trinket, right?!" She pressed her hands against his chest, trying to move him back a little, but he wouldn't budge. "Well I wasn't, so you can get that thought out of your head. And even if I was, I wouldn't owe you any explanation!" She retorted, pressing her fingers against his armored chest.

"You owe me every bit of explanation I want," He growled lowly, "If you weren't trying to harm yourself, then what were you doing?!"

Sayah tried to look away from his eyes, but couldn't. For some reason she felt compelled to answer him, even if he didn't earn it or deserve it. "For your information, I was just taking a dip so I could remember what being weightless felt like," She started, strongly at first then slowly quieting down, "I don't know how much longer you're going to keep me alive, so I wanted to make sure I didn't forget in case I never get to go back again." She searched his face for any sign of emotion, almost missing the slight flinch he'd made when she spoke of him killing her, "You could kill me tonight if you wanted to, but I'm going to take the little time I've got and use it." She explained, watching his face go from angry, to what seemed like sadness, although she knew it couldn't be possible. "There. You happy?" She sighed, breaking his gaze to look away, nibbling her lip.

Cell simply stared at her, trying to understand the reason behind what she'd just done. Something like that seemed so trivial, so unnecessary, that he was having a hard time believing it was the truth. He watched as she turned her gaze away, revealing the soft, smooth flesh on her neck, which he was suddenly compelled to touch, but resisted the urge. It was then that his eyes traveled further down, looking at her plunging neckline and seeing the curvatures of her body, finally noticing that she was still in her underwear. He pulled back rapidly, almost as if he'd been burned, and took a few steps back away from her, trying to only look at her face.

When he pulled back, Sayah suddenly noticed a gust of wind on her body, and she immediately covered herself with her hands and arms before running over to her towel. She was blushing furiously, trying to pretend that hadn't just happened, and that Cell hadn't just seen her half-naked. Attempting to change the subject, she uttered, "You can go back to the arena, I promise I won't do anything that foils whatever torture plans you have in store for me." She glanced at him, then watched as he left without saying another word.

* * *

Sayah woke up to the warmth of the sun kissing her skin, and she sat up to look over at Cell's usual location and sure enough, there he was, head tilted down and arms crossed. She got changed in the woods quickly before going back to her spot to drink something, the previous night's events replaying in her head. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn that Cell had 'saved' her because he was genuinely concerned; but, she did know better and knew that he had only ulterior motives for keeping her there. As crazy as it sounded, she actually wanted to know more about him, and figure out where he even came from. It was obvious he wasn't from this planet, or at least she assumed so, and she wanted to know how someone like him could be turned into a killing machine. She went against her curiosity and kept her distance for the day, deciding that it would probably be best to give him some space, lest she end up like her crumbled muffin earlier than she'd ever want to be.

When the next day arrived, Sayah did all of her usual things, except this time, she couldn't get that bothersome curiosity out of her head. She went against all her own preset rules and quietly walked over to Cell, stopping a few feet from him as he had his back turned to her. She took a few more feeble steps, and when she was within distance, she reached her hand out and oh so gently ran her fingers down his wing, admiring how smooth yet strong they were.

At this, Cell's eyes suddenly snapped open and he turned around, furious. He stared at her shocked expression and growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, girl?!"

Sayah's mouth opened slightly and she was barely able to utter an, "I'm sorry, I was just curious" before he had her pinned up against a pillar again, both wrists held above her head with one hand while his other was around her neck. He began to squeeze, gently but firmly, and began to smile evilly, watching as she struggled to get free. "Now how would you like it if I did that to you without asking?"

Sayah closed her eyes for a second, trying to catch the few breaths she could. When she felt him loosen his grip slightly, almost as if to hear her response, she smirked and retorted with "Do it. I dare you." And mirrored his smile with one of her own. She knew he wouldn't, or couldn't do it, especially since it'd include physically touching what he considered an inferior being, without actually killing them.

Cell's eyes widened slightly at her response, and his anger rose at her insolence. If she wanted to be uncomfortable, he'd make her, and he let out a dry laugh before releasing her throat, using that hand to trace down her jaw and onto her neckline, shifting to one finger to trace further down until he reached her stomach, after which he used his entire hand to trace along the hem of her form-fitting v-neck, and swiftly reaching under it to touch up until he reached the side of her waist. He left his hand there, almost lost in his thoughts of how soft and warm her skin felt, before coming back to reality and revealing a large, evil grin. "Uncomfortable, isn't it?"

Sayah held her breath, and she watched his face the entire time as his hand traveled. She could see the curiosity in him, and wondered if he'd ever cared for someone other than himself. She'd be lying if she said she didn't find him attractive, but she'd also be lying if she said she knew why. Instead of staying put and out of his way until the tournament arrived, she kept poking the bear, even though she knew the bear was much more stronger and lethal than her. She began to nibble on her lip again, noticing the smirk that appeared on his lips when she did so. "Let me go, Cell." She ordered, giving him the best scary glare she could muster, although deep down she knew it was probably futile.

"Why yes, I'll let you go, as soon as—" His words were interrupted by the faint sound of tanks on sand and human voices. He released Sayah slowly and carefully, as if planned, and stared in the direction the sounds were coming from, noticing a quite few vehicles in the distance. Cell suddenly smirked and began to laugh, "Those fools! Do they really think they can defeat me with such pitiful weaponry? They must not value their life." He finished, just in time to see the tanks and military arriving near his stadium.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hi all! I apologize for this chapter being so boring, but I had to get it out so I could get onto the chapters with more substance to them. The next one you might recognize from the show, but the Royal Army attakh is gonna be one fragment of it. I want to include more intimate moments between the two, now that they're about to have time alone without such interruptions. (AKA the next few days, lol). Again, apologies for being so late and I will try to finish the next chapter tonight, or by tomorrow morning.**

 **Again, thanks you all for being so awesome and loyal. I really appreciate it!**

 **~SinTotchi**


	5. The First Fragment

**Author's Note: Hi all! I've been revving up on this story and trying to get some chapters out, especially because of the long wait between Chapters 3 and 4! I just got this one done a little while ago, and I hope you all like it, especially since it's the first time we get to learn more about Sayah. Slowly but surely the pieces will fall into place, you'll see, hehe! Anyway, please enjoy, and as usual, review if you'd like and if you can. Many hugs to all!**

* * *

"What…what is that?" Sayah asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer he would give her. As the military became more visible in the distance, she gulped and shifted her focus from them back over to Cell. "Please tell me that isn't what I think it is."

Cell chuckled, watching as they approached. "Oh, but it is. And I do believe they've come to try and kill me…futile as it may be." He responded with a smirk, seeing the look of panic on her face out of the corner of his eye.

"But...but, they can't do that! I'm standing right here! With you! If they unleash those weapons, there's no way in hell I can survive that!" Sayah added, taking a step forward before looking over at him again.

"Yes, you definitely wouldn't survive that," Cell responded calmly, suddenly walking over to her, "Except I'm here, and they don't get to choose when you die." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, not bothering to look at her before saying, "I do," and taking off into the sky.

He landed a few ways away from the ring, releasing her and hearing one of the army men yell something about him running away. He laughed a retort, adding that he couldn't have them destroy his lovely tournament ring, and was about to take flight again when he felt a soft, warm hand on his arm. He didn't say anything and just turned to look at her, almost as if waiting to see what she'd say.

"Cell, wait," Sayah spoke, staring into his cerise-hued eyes, "What are you going to do? Why'd you put me here?"

Cell's lips turned up into a menacing smile, and his voice turned cool and nonchalant, "I guess I have to teach these fools not to mess with their betters." He didn't wait to see what her response was before jumping into the air, creating a barrier around himself and one around Sayah nearby, before annihilating the entire Royal Army with one full, 360-degree ki swoop, mere seconds after they'd barraged him with the full strength of their military force.

Sayah couldn't believe what she was watching, and as she saw the first blasts hit Cell she fell to her knees, her stomach doing somersaults as she stared at the spot he'd just been. "Please, please don't be hurt…" she whispered, unsure of why she even cared so much in the first place. Her eyes stared at that spot in the sky for what felt like hours, waiting for the debris and smoke to clear so she could see what shape he was in. When it finally did, she let out the breath she'd been holding and smiled, uttering a "Kami, he's okay," before noticing the eerily familiar look of a glowing orb beginning to form in his hand. She stood up, trying to see his face from where she was, but he was too far away. She took a few feeble steps forward, her voice getting caught in her throat as she watched the light grow bigger and bigger. She glanced down at the army below and then back to Cell, holding her breath when the light turned into a beam, and she barely managed to scream out a loud "NO!" just as the first blast hit the people below. She covered her mouth with her hands, her breaths coming out in ragged, uneven gasps, her whole body shaking from the massacre she'd just beheld. When Cell was done, there was nothing left of the army or even the landscape around them, and she didn't even notice she was floating in mid-air, albeit with Cell's help, because she was too in shock from what she'd just witnessed. She barely registered him wrapping his arm around her waist and flying them back to the ring.

When he landed, Sayah didn't say anything but simply walked over to her corner of the ring and sat down, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She rested her forehead on her knees, closing her eyes and ignoring the tears that fell onto her shirt and legs, sobbing quietly as her body trembled. She was trying to push the images out of her head, as well as the sounds of the people screaming as they were killed.

* * *

It was nightfall and Cell was getting tired and annoyed of Sayah not moving and not saying a word. He couldn't ignore the nagging feeling he had about seeing her upset any longer, and turned to look at her, or rather, her back since she was facing the nearby woods. He took a few squeaky steps towards her, and watched her, getting more and more irritated by the minute. She'd stopped crying, but it'd been a few hours since and she was still just sitting there, in the same spot, barely moving.

"Would you stop sulking already?! There is nothing to be upset about." He snapped, hoping that his tone would get her to emit some sort of response other than sadness.

"Leave me alone, Cell. I've seen more than enough of you and your power for one day." Sayah responded quietly, staring off into the distance for a moment before she felt herself being roughly picked up by the arm to face Cell. She turned to look away; she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes after what he'd done.

"Watch your tongue, girl. I saved your life, you should be thanking me." He growled, cupping her jaw with his hand and forcing her to look at him.

" _Thanking_ you?! After watching you slaughter hundreds of innocent people?!" She suddenly yelled back, managing to release herself from his grip without even realizing how she'd done so.

Cell hid the surprise he felt when she was able to get free, but immediately took a menacing step towards her and locked eyes with her, gritting his teeth. "They weren't so innocent. It was either them or you, because I assure you I would've survived any other onslaught they tried to throw at me."

Sayah let out a dry laugh, "Oh please, don't try to act like you did this for me. You did it because them killing me would've meant whatever messed-up plans you had in store for me would've been ruined." She took a step towards him, looking up into his face as her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Even though he was much taller than her, and even much more stronger than her, she'd thrown caution to the wind the moment she'd entered this conversation.

"That's not…" Cell stopped himself, his eyes narrowing as he tried not to focus on how beautiful she looked under the moonlight, and simultaneously mentally berating himself for even thinking so. His anger heightened as he constructed his next words carefully.

"I saved you. Now twice. I _own_ you." He snarled, lowly, his hands clenching up into fists as his arms remained still at his side.

"Own me?! Like hell you do. Nobody owns me, much less you. If you hadn't shown up at my house and did what you did, there would've been nothing _to_ save!" Sayah responded, pressing her index finger into his muscled and armored chest, "You should've just let them kill me, so I at least would've gotten a quick death instead of whatever slow, painful one you have in store for me," She added, narrowing her eyes to match his, and not giving him time to respond before she continued, "What do you want from me, Cell? Just tell me so I can give it to you, you get rid of me, and then it'll be over with." Her voice grew quieter at her last sentence, and her eyes had softened a bit as she looked up at him.

He growled, trying futilely to search for an answer that he couldn't yet come up with. He stood there for a few seconds, staring at her before his anger flared suddenly, and he reached out and grabbed her arms in his hands, pulling her even closer to him, "You don't get to ask the questions here, woman. I have all the power."

It was at that moment Sayah realized that Cell himself also didn't know why she was here. He'd been stringing her along with a story about toying with her solely to buy time until he figured out the real reason why, and he got especially upset when she brought it up because it was one of the very few things in this world he didn't have the knowledge of. She was smarter than to point this out to him, though, because she knew it might enrage him enough that he might actually kill her this time.

She stared into his eyes for another moment, suddenly realizing that when he'd grabbed her arms and pulled her closer, she'd unconsciously placed her hands on his chest, almost as if to keep their bodies apart, from touching. She stood there, staring into those eyes that had captivated her since the moment she'd met him, and whispered, "Cell?"

Cell, for the first time being unsure of what to do next, simply responded "What?" in his usual, gruff tone.

"Is it…" Sayah hesitated, and although knowing that he would most likely kill her for what she was thinking of doing, threw caution to the wind once more and remembered that she probably didn't have much time left on this Earth anyways. She lifted herself onto her tip-toes, tracing her hands from his chest to the back of his neck, and whispered, "…this?" before slowly closing her eyes and pressing her lips against his.

Cell froze, at first unsure of how to respond before his body took over, and he closed his eyes as his senses took in her scent and tasted her lips, his grip on her arms slackening and not even realizing his hands moved to the small of her back. He pulled her up against him, deepening the kiss and noticing a faint taste of cherry on her lips, which he guessed belonged to the balm he'd noticed she liked to put on her lips. He could smell her hair, the scent of peach and coconut almost too intoxicating for him to bear, yet so deliciously sweet that he wouldn't ever be able to get it out of his mind. His body seemed to be in autopilot as one of his hands traveled up her back and came to rest at the nape of her neck, his fingers entwined with her soft, wavy locks of hair. He wasn't sure what he was doing or why he was doing it, but he knew he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't enjoying it. This wasn't anything he'd ever planned or even imagined, much less with a member of the human race he planned to annihilate, but he knew there was something different about her. She was…mysterious, intriguing, and he hadn't been too far off when he'd told her that he'd brought her with him simply because she'd piqued his interest. He still wasn't entirely certain what it was that had made him stop at her home, but he would make sure to find out before he blew up this wretched planet, so he couldn't have any more surprises.

This kiss was similar to the other solely in the fact that they both could be called so, but this time was different. This time she wasn't doing this to trick him, or at least that's what he was telling himself. This time felt more real, more genuine, as if she actually felt something for him, even if he didn't believe it could be true. He didn't understand why or how he was responding in this manner, especially when this involved a human, a being he saw so unbearably inferior to him, but then again there were a lot of unexplained uncertainties when it came to her.

Sayah couldn't believe what she was doing, and much less that she was enjoying it. She felt torn between following her impulses and wanting to hate him for what she'd just seen him do, but no matter how much she tried, she always seemed to get lost in his gaze, almost as if knowing that there was something more to him than everything he'd done. Her body was not only enjoying every small touch, every tiny caress, but it was also returning them, slowly and tentatively just like he did. It wasn't much longer into the kiss when something almost literally clicked in her mind, and she began to experience what she at first couldn't distinguish between flashbacks or visions.

* * *

 _She was running, running as fast as she could, away from someone or something. She kept looking back, trying to make sure there was still nobody behind her, but every other time she did so she would trip over something in her way. She didn't know where she was, but she at least knew she was in the middle of some woods and she wasn't safe. She'd managed to get out of the mountains, that much she knew, but she still had no memory of who she really was or where she'd just been. The most she had were slivers and bits, which were hard to put together since she didn't have the missing pieces to the puzzle. She was running out of breath, not sure of how long she'd been fleeing, but she knew she couldn't stop until she got somewhere she felt was secure enough to do so._

 _She kept running until she spotted a dim light in the distance, realizing that it belonged to a home. She sped up as most she could and banged on the door when she reached it, knowing that it was past nightfall and there was a good chance nobody would be awake, or possibly even home. Surprisingly enough, it didn't take long before a woman opened up, staring at her confused and bewildered at the condition she was in. She barely managed to gasp a "please help me" before the woman immediately brought her inside and placed a nearby blanket around her shoulders, covering her and walking her over to the couch. Sayah's dress was a mess of dirt and tatters, and the shoes she was wearing had holes from the trek she'd just made._

" _What happened to you, dear?" The woman asked quietly, sitting next to Sayah on the couch._

" _I…I don't know," Sayah responded, her eyes moving to stare at the ground as she tried futilely to dredge up any memories. "I can't remember anything after getting past those doors. Something happened to me, but…but I just can't remember," She began to shake, barely noticing as the woman stood and hurried into the kitchen. She returned with a hot mug on a small plate, handing it to Sayah and smiling when she took it. "What is this?" Sayah asked, untrusting of anything or anyone, especially now that she couldn't remember anything._

" _It's chamomile tea, dear. Drink it, it'll help you feel better. Are you hungry?" The woman asked, taking a seat next to Sayah again as she watched the mug shake in her hands._

" _I'm not sure…I don't think so?" She answered, taking slow sips of the tea and feeling as it began to warm her up, soothing her throat and stomach. She turned to look at the woman, feeling as her body began to calm down. "Where are we?"_

" _In the outskirts of Eastern City," The woman replied, smiling at her and placing her hand on her shoulder. "What's your name?"_

" _Sayah…I think." She replied, taking a few more sips of tea and glancing at the woman again._

" _Sayah, that's a beautiful name. What's your last name, your family name?"_

 _Sayah tore her gaze away and stared at the ground again. She searched her memory as far as she could muster but found no trace of anything, as if her mind had just been erased with the push of a button. She shook her head, closing her eyes as she whispered, "I don't know."_

 _The woman's eyes softened, staring at her. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll remember eventually. You're in shock," She placed her hand over Sayah's hand, seeing how badly she had begun to shake again, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sayah. My name is Mira. Mira Sparks."_

* * *

Sayah was abruptly brought back to reality, and it wasn't until she felt the unfamiliar feeling of warm lips on her own that she remembered where she was and what was happening. She suddenly pulled back, gasping and opening her eyes to see Cell who immediately opened his as well.

Cell stared at her, not saying a word as he watched her touch her lips with her fingertips, her eyes lost even though they'd never broken their gaze. He wasn't sure what had just happened, not only about the kiss but about her unexpected reaction and suddenly pulling away, especially when it was she who'd initiated the interaction in the first place.

Sayah spoke up before Cell had a chance to say anything, uttering a quiet "I'm sorry" before backing up a few steps and then swiftly turning around, running to the edge of the arena and then into the nearby woods. She wasn't sure what she'd just seen or how it'd even shown up, but she knew that this was a memory that had been hidden deep in the trenches of her unconscious, especially considering the very last thing she ever remembered was waking up in that same house she'd seen, and Mira telling her she'd been sleeping for days. She wasn't trying to run away from Cell or what she'd just done, but she needed to get away from him and clear her head, mainly because she wasn't sure if he'd been the one to bring up the sudden flashback in the first place.

Cell watched her go and stood there for a minute, confused, but after a moment he gritted his teeth in anger, clenching his fists. "She did not just try to fool me, _again_ ," He growled, taking Sayah's sudden departure as her trying to trick him for an escape, as she'd done a few days prior. He took off flying after her, weaving easily past and through anything in his path.

Sayah didn't go far before she stopped, leaning against a wide tree before turning and placing her back on it. Her breaths came out ragged as she placed her hands on her head, not even realizing that Cell had caught up to her without much effort.

When he reached her, Cell ground to a halt mid-flight and walked over to her, furious. "Did you really think you could escape? From me?" He yelled, ignoring the look of fear on Sayah's face as he reached her. He stood in front of her, one arm at his side as he extended the other to another part of the forest, a small ki ball forming in his hand shortly before he released it. It flew past a few trees and quite a ways before making impact, the explosion causing a strong gust of wind that reached them even though they were the furthest away. "You're next."

Sayah's breath caught in her throat as she watched the events unfold before her. She'd witnessed firsthand what he could do to an entire army, and that time he seemed to just be having fun, whereas this time he was pissed, and even worse, he was pissed at her. She shook her head quickly, finding her voice and then looking up at him. "Cell, I wasn't trying to escape!"

Cell growled, moving closer towards her as he lit up another ball in his hand. He held it up to her head, next to her face as he seethed, returning her stare. "Now why would I believe _you_? After a pathetic attempt to use your womanly charm to try and trick me, twice," He hissed, watching as the ball of light emitted a soft glow onto her face.

As much as she was inwardly panicking, Sayah took a deep breath before reaching up to touch his wrist, her movement catching him by surprise enough to allow her to gently guide his hand so that the ki ball was directly in front of her chest, near her heart. She moved her other hand to rest on his wrist as well, moving forward slightly so that her back wasn't against the tree anymore and she stood straight up, emerald eyes staring into pink. "Cell. I wasn't trying to escape. I promise." She said quietly, feeling the warmth from the ki ball slowly begin to dissipate.

Cell stared at her, and something deep within told him he could believe her. But if that hadn't been it, then what? He stared at her long and hard before pulling his hand away, resting it at his side. "Then why run?" He asked, part of him unwilling to accept he might be afraid of the answer.

Sayah bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to explain what had just happened. "You just…you just helped me see something," She whispered, watching as he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "I mean literally, I saw something. A memory. You helped me remember something about myself."

"If that is so, why didn't this happen the first time? You had no reaction then," He countered, untrusting of her answer. He knew deep down he believed her, but he still didn't understand why she'd kissed him in the first place, much less why a memory would cause her to react in the way that she did.

"Well that's because I didn't feel—" She stopped, her cheeks turning a light shade of red and she turned away, unable to keep his gaze, "—I…I'm sorry, I don't know." She whispered, unwilling to tell him that it might've been because she was, as scared as she was of the thought, possibly starting to feel something for him. She drew her bottom lip in to nibble on it nervously, stopping and turning to look at him when she felt him take a step towards her.

"What did you see?" Cell asked, authoritatively. He wanted her to know that it was more of a statement than a question she could refuse to answer.

Sayah bit her lip, shaking her head. "Nothing important." She didn't want to look at his face, in fear that he'd be able to see through her lie simply by looking into her eyes.

Cell began to glare at her, knowing that wasn't true. "You're lying. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't have been such an impacting memory," he stated matter-of-fact, taking another step towards her and using his finger to turn her head to face him. "Now I'll ask again, one last time. What did you see? Don't test my patience."

Sayah looked up at him, her eyes scanning his face for any way to get out of this. When she couldn't find it, she closed her eyes briefly before sighing, and began to explain what she'd seen. After a few moments, she finished telling him what she remembered. "And so she asked me my name, I gave it to her, and she told me hers, first and last. I didn't, still don't, know my real last name, but…c'est la vie."

Cell stared at her for a while, processing everything she'd just told him. When she got to talking about her name, he narrowed his eyes and thought a moment, speaking up when she was done. "Hmm, I suddenly remembered I never bothered, or rather cared, to get your name. What is it?"

Sayah stared at him awestruck and she realized that it was true, she had asked him his name but he'd never done the same, nor did she offer up hers. She let out a small laugh before continuing, "It's Sayah. Sayah Sparks. I know it's not my real last name but…it's all I know, so it stuck."

When she said her first name he froze, trying to search the deepest crevices of his mind to remember where he'd heard it before. He couldn't pinpoint where exactly he knew it from, but he knew it was familiar, and he had a feeling it wasn't simply because he might've seen it somewhere.

Sayah watched him stare at her, his gaze making her nibble her lip nervously again. The look in his eyes made her feel like he wasn't really looking at her, but rather through her. He was obviously deep in thought about something, but what it was, she could only guess, and she knew even if she asked he wouldn't tell her. She waited a few more seconds before finally speaking up, trying to snap him out of whatever he'd just gotten himself into. "Cell. Cell! Are you okay?"

Cell was snapped out of his thoughts by her voice, and when he focused his gaze on her he scoffed at what she'd just asked him. "Don't ask foolish questions, girl. I'm the most perfect being this universe has seen – I am _more_ than okay." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking down at her with a smirk.

"Well so sorry for making sure!" She retorted, glaring at him and crossing her arms. "If you're so perfect, you're also perfectly arrogant. That will be your downfall, Cell." She poked his chest with her index finger, never breaking their gaze.

Cell laughed loudly, darkly before responding, "Don't be absurd, woman. Who's going to bring my downfall? You?" He laughed again, "Even Goku doesn't have enough strength to beat me in my perfect form, and he's one of the strongest in this world, possibly this universe. You'll witness that during my tournament."

Sayah shook her head, sighing, "You are so egotistic, Cell. I really hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the end," she added quietly, gently pushing him aside so she could begin the walk back to the arena. She'd barely made it a few steps when she felt someone's arm around her waist and gasped in surprise, shortly before she felt herself flying through the air. "What the hell!" She screamed, and a few seconds later she was let go brusquely, causing her to stumble onto the arena floor and land on her bottom. She uttered a quiet 'ouch,' but by the time she looked up Cell was already back to his spot, with his back facing her, arms crossed, and head tilted down. She glowered at his back right before picking herself up and walking over to her own spot, getting ready to get some much-needed rest.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all liked it! I know it wasn't suuuuper eventful, but we're getting there, right? Let me know what you all thought in a review, and if there's any constructive criticism and/or ideas you'd like to share, please do so! Many hugs to all, and thanks for reading!**

 **~SinTotchi**


	6. Just A Dream

A Need Unknown

Chapter 6

 **Author's Note: Hi all! I hope you've all been liking the story so far! I had to cut this one off a little shorter than the other chapters, solely because I knew if I kept going, it would've been like two chapters in one, and I'm sure that's a lot of strain on the eyes, haha! Anyway, I want to send out a thank you to QrowOfFate for sending me a PM about the story – I appreciate you reaching out! PMs & Reviews are always welcome! **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Sayah sat down on the laid-out blankets and sighed, rubbing her eyes. She didn't or couldn't understand why she'd kissed him, but what troubled her even more is that Cell hadn't pushed her away and instead, pulled her even closer. She moved her fingers to rub her temples, muttering to herself. "Why the hell did I do that? I'm so stupid," she whispered, hoping Cell couldn't hear her. She opened her eyes to stare at the ground in front of her and traced her lips with her fingertips again, almost as if she couldn't believe it had happened. "Good going, Sayah, you literally kissed your future killer. I must be going batshit crazy," She added, scolding herself as she got back up and walked over to one of the pink and white bags, looking for some sweatpants. When she couldn't find any, she realized that the few she had were dirty, which caused her to gulp. "Oh no…please tell me I have some more pajamas," She began to take everything out of the bag, and when she got to the bottom, she put her hand on her face. She looked over at the clothes she'd grabbed out and slowly put them back in the bag, holding up the ones that weren't underwear to glance them over. "No. Nope. Definitely can't wear that to sleep…oh hey, this looks like a nightgown," She uttered, holding up the soft, silky fabric with lace trim. Her eyes widened when she realized it was a lot shorter than she remembered, and sighed before taking it off the hanger and balling it up in her hands. "Great. I guess this will have to do."

She went to change and came back hurriedly, hoping Cell wouldn't turn around and see her. She had her hands on her arms, quickly getting under the blanket to her makeshift bed, and covering herself up. She laid there for a minute, her cheeks turning red when she thought about the way Cell had held her during their kiss, and put her hands on her face feeling the warmth emanating from her cheeks. _"Stop thinking about it, Sayah!"_ She mentally berated herself, closing her eyes and trying to push the images out of her head. It didn't take her much longer before her body caved in to exhaustion, especially after everything she'd been through that day.

* * *

Cell stood in his usual spot, thinking about what Sayah had said after he'd dropped her off. He, of course, had been able to hear everything she muttered to herself, even if she didn't realize it. He didn't particularly like the unfamiliar feelings he'd been having lately, and he was sure that they weren't the kind that were programmed into his system. He tried to understand why she'd done what she'd done, but even more, he wanted to understand why he hadn't just killed her then and there before she got so close. It didn't matter how interesting she might be, she'd touched him and worse, _kissed_ him and he hadn't done anything to stop it. In fact, he'd returned her gesture, and he would even venture out to say he might've enjoyed the interaction, although he couldn't fathom why. She was just a human, a pathetic life-form who would never measure up to him and would die along with the rest of this planet. When he thought about her dying, however, there was the tiniest sliver of guilt, which he quickly crushed under the weight of his anger at her actions. He had no choice, she _had_ to die, and soon, before this got out of hand. Yes…he would kill her, and the sooner the better.

Just as that thought ran through his mind, he remembered that he'd given Goku his word, and he knew he couldn't go back on that. He sighed in frustration, trying to think of a way to get rid of her without breaking that promise, and he realized that the only way it would work is if she tried to harm him first.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft whimper, and he suddenly turned to look at the owner of the voice he so easily recognized. He approached her slowly, carefully, as if trying to figure out if she was trying to fool him and pretending she was asleep. When he reached her, he saw that she indeed was still sleeping, but she was talking aloud, and he watched her for a few seconds before realizing she was most likely having a dream…or a nightmare.

* * *

" _Please, you can't do this." Sayah pleaded, backed into a corner. She was staring at someone, but the person was faceless and she couldn't recognize their voice when they talked. She was aware that she knew this person, but who they really were was hidden deep within all of the memories she couldn't dredge up. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, as if she was watching these events unfold before her but couldn't do anything about them._

" _Please let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone, you can believe me!" She begged, tears beginning to form in her eyes as the person got closer. The cold metal wall made a chill run down her spine, but she didn't have anywhere else to run, especially not now that she was stuck and didn't know her way around this place._

" _Oh no, dear, you're mine now. I have been searching for a long time and I finally found you. You fulfill all the requirements and more, so there is no way I am letting you go."_

 _Sayah watched the person come closer, and her breath caught in her throat as she glanced at the capped needle in their hand. "You can't do this! Someone will come looking for me!" She yelled, hearing the ominous laugh of the person slowly approaching her._

" _Oh but they won't. I will make sure of that."_

 _Sayah hesitated a moment before suddenly lunging forward and pushing them aside, trying to run towards where she vaguely remembered the exit to be. She had a feeling she was too deep in this maze of a place to remember which ways to turn when she needed to, but she had to try. She could feel them catching up to her with ease, and she wiped away the tears blurring her eyes quickly, struggling to find a way out. She was about to reach what looked like double doors when she suddenly felt someone's weight on her, knocking her to the ground. She barely managed to roll over, but within seconds the person was on top of her, chuckling sinisterly. Tears streamed down the sides of her face as she struggled to keep the hand that held the needle away from her. "Let me go, you bastard!"_

 _The person laughed even louder now, managing to grab one of her wrists. They uncapped the needle with their teeth, still struggling to keep Sayah from moving as they pinned her down._

" _Get off me! You won't get away with this!" She screamed, trying hard to keep up the struggle she knew she was losing. She wasn't going to stop fighting until she was dead, if she had to._

" _I will. And you're going to help me." The person said evilly, managing to grab Sayah's other wrist, and swiftly and easily pinning down both arms long enough to use their other hand to jab the needle into her neck. They pushed the plunger rapidly, not giving her a chance to regain any control._

 _Sayah felt her strength quickly leaving her, hearing the empty needle hit the ground next to her. She barely registered the person reaching for a pair of what she faintly made out to look like golden circles, and was trying to keep conscious as she felt them put said circles into her pierced earlobes. She tried to look at the person's face, but it remained a shadowy, dark figure that she could vaguely even register was a person. She felt herself being picked up, and used her last remaining strength to attempt to look at the person one last time, barely whispering, "What are you going to do to me?"_

" _Don't worry, Sayah. Now you're going to be…perfect."_

* * *

Cell had watched her for a little while, listening to what she was saying, and deciding she was definitely having some sort of nightmare. He stooped down to one knee, not even realizing he had concern written all across his face as he paid close attention to her words, quietly repeating them to himself. "Please you can't do this…" He began, studying her face closely as he continued, "Please let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone, you can believe me…" He reached over and gently moved a lock of her hair out of her face, "You can't do this. Someone will come looking for me…" He paused, realization apparent on his face. _"Was she kidnapped? Did someone take her and that's why she can't remember anything?"_ He thought, recalling the memory she'd told him about earlier, causing his theory to make that much more sense. He reached over and shook her by the arm, trying to wake her up. "Sayah, you're dreaming. Wake up."

He was taken by surprise when she pushed him, causing him to stumble back a little before he caught himself. His anger began to take over and he walked right back over to her, to see if she'd woken up. When she hadn't, he pushed her onto her back from where she'd been laying on her side, and grabbed her wrists. "Sayah, wake up!" He yelled at her, watching as she began to squirm and struggle under him, and he had to use more force than he'd originally expected to keep her from moving so much. _"She shouldn't have this much strength for a human. This doesn't make any sense,"_ He thought, remembering the fact that she hadn't, and still didn't, have an energy signature.

"Let me go, you bastard!"

He stared deep into her face, trying to figure out if she was still asleep. He grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and pinned them above her head, trying to figure out how she could still manage to struggle under him, but he didn't want to use too much force on her since she didn't even realize what she was doing.

"Get off me! You won't get away with this!"

Cell watched as her body went from fight-or-flight to completely subdued, staring at her in bewilderment. He hadn't done anything else, but he still kept her pinned, now without having to use so much strength. He used his free hand to cup her chin, turning her head so he could look at her face. "Sayah?"

"What are you going to do to me?"

Cell frowned deeply, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Her last words were barely a whisper, and he wondered if she'd suddenly become submissive because of something she saw in her dream, as if she'd been reliving it. He kept staring at her sternly for a moment before roughly saying her name one more time, and feeling some internal relief when he saw her eyelids flutter open.

Sayah blinked groggily a few times and tried to turn her head, but felt someone keeping it there. A wave of panic set in when she realized she couldn't move, and that someone's weight was on top of her. Her eyes suddenly focused and she saw Cell's face, letting out a deep breath when she realized the person keeping her still was him. She didn't say anything for a moment, simply staring at those mesmerizing eyes and studying his face, realizing how attractive he really was. It didn't matter whether he was or wasn't of this world, either of which she didn't know for sure, but it was at that instant that she realized she really did feel something for him, not only because of his outward appearance, but because he seemed to actually care about her, even if he wouldn't ever admit it. To her, actions spoke much louder than words, and even his being there right now, as awkward of a position this may be, showed that he was probably trying to make sure she was okay. His face showed some concern, but she knew better than to point that out, especially since he'd obviously deny it. She wanted so badly to touch it, to run her fingers down his cheek and feel the warmth of his skin; to trace her hand across his jaw to feel it's strength, but she knew she wouldn't, even if he hadn't been pinning her arms down. She was much too new at this and much too afraid of him reacting badly, so no matter how bad her urge was, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She waited until Cell released her wrists and let go of her jaw to say anything.

"Cell...what happened?"

Cell had been staring at her the entire time, his breath coming out in slow, shallow breaths. He'd been watching her in silence as well, studying her features and controlling himself enough to not do anything he might regret. His fingers ached to touch her face, to run down her neck and collarbone and as far as she'd let him go, but he resisted, sternly. He stared into her emerald eyes, watching as she blinked a couple of times, and studying the curved length of her eyelashes. He had never imagined he'd consider any being in this universe even remotely attractive, but he knew she was beautiful, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself or anyone else. He didn't even realize he'd let go of her wrists, and as she asked her question he suddenly pulled back, easing himself off the ground to stand up. He watched her sit up silently, crossing his arms in front of his chest and observing her curiously.

"You had a dream."

Sayah looked up at him when he stood, her eyes never moving from his figure until he spoke. She suddenly peeled her gaze away from him and brought her knees up a bit, resting her elbows on her legs. She placed her hands through her hair and onto her head, one on each side. "…that's right. I remember. Although it was more like a nightmare."

Cell eyed her inquisitively, nodding silently. _"From the way she was acting, I'd say it was definitely a nightmare."_ He thought, before speaking up again. "What did you see?"

Sayah's eyes suddenly seemed lost as she remembered everything that happened. She hesitated a second when she remembered the last part of her dream, gasping in horror and reaching up to touch her ears. "Oh thank god, they're gone." She whispered, rubbing her earlobes and feeling only the spot where her ears were pierced.

"What's gone?" Cell asked, furrowing his brows. She hadn't been wearing anything on her ears since he'd first seen her, so nothing could be gone that wasn't there in the first place.

"Those earrings! Those damned, golden earrings." Sayah said bitterly, feeling a sudden gust of wind that tossed her hair gently. She shivered, looking down at herself and realizing the blanket wasn't on top of her anymore. Her eyes widened when she remembered what she was wearing, and she looked further down to see the black nightgown covering her to her upper thighs. Her cheeks turned a deep red and she searched around for the blanket, seeing it laying a few ways away to the side. She got up to get it, nightgown falling a bit to cover her to above her knees, although some of her skin could still be seen through the lace trim.

Cell watched her movements closely, seeing her get up and trying not to show his surprise when he paid attention to what she was wearing. Although he'd seen her wearing shorts and a top before, he wasn't used to something this…revealing. He saw her cheeks turning red, and tried not to chuckle as he saw her grab her blanket.

"So, care to tell me what you saw?"

Sayah froze at his words, holding the blanket she'd just picked up. Her back was to him, and she tried to think of a way to get out of telling him what she saw in her nightmare, especially since she didn't particularly want to re-experience it again. She stayed silent, clutching the blanket tightly in her hands without even realizing that he had made his way over to her.

"You should feel flattered I even care to ask." He spoke, standing behind her with his arms crossed and glaring into her back. Truthfully, he was more curious than he'd ever admit to, and deep down he wanted to know more about her. "But really, you owe it to me. Trying to wake you up while simultaneously keeping you still was an…interesting task." He added, waiting another few seconds before his anger began to rise, and he frustratingly reached out, grabbing her roughly by the arm and turning her around to face him.

Sayah bit her lip at his words, and when he forcibly grabbed her and moved her she turned her head away, not wanting to look into his captivating eyes. "I didn't…I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Cell laughed loudly at her words, some of his anger dissipating. "Really? You think _you_ , a human, could hurt _me_? Don't be ridiculous." He looked down at her, seeing that she had closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

Sayah sighed, half glad that she hadn't done anything to him, and the other half annoyed at what he'd said. "I…I just wanted to make sure. I know I couldn't ever hold a candle to your power, Cell, but I didn't know what I had done while I was asleep. If it was the same as what I dreamt…then I was definitely trying to fight."

Cell crossed his arms again, now even more curious as to what she'd seen in her dream. "Well, what _did_ you see? It obviously wasn't anything pleasant."

Sayah slowly lifted her gaze to look at him, taking a moment before reluctantly retelling the sordid details of what had happened in her nightmare. When she was finished, she looked away and placed a hand on her arm, and speaking softly. "That's why I was glad those earrings were gone. Whoever that was put them on me, and I couldn't just take them off, either. When I escaped, Mira helped me get them off with some type of metal-cutting tool…I was so glad to have them gone, even if I didn't know why. I just knew that every time I looked in the mirror and saw them, I would get the biggest headache and this pain in my chest…like something had been ripped out of me, literally ripped out."

She turned back to look at Cell, smiling slightly, "But regardless, I do want to thank you for helping me. You didn't have to, but you did, and I think I would've been much worse off if you hadn't come over and woken me up." She paused, letting go of the blanket for a moment and setting it on the ground. She took a few steps forward towards him and stopped when she was within arm's reach, looking up at him.

Cell kept his arms crossed, looking away when she spoke of him helping her. "I didn't do it for you. You were just making an unreasonable amount of noise."

Sayah smiled, but didn't say anything else. She walked closer to him and stood on her tiptoes, reaching up and kissing him softly on the cheek. She took a step back and then turned and walked over to the blanket, picking it up and heading back over to the rest of her items. She sat down on the laid out blanket for a brief moment before laying down and covering herself up, curling up into a ball because of how cold it was. "Goodnight Cell," she whispered, closing her eyes as her body slowly drifted off into sleep.

Cell still felt the warmth of her lips on his skin as he watched her the entire time she walked away from him, trying not to focus on the way the fabric hugged her curves. He hadn't realized what she'd been wearing when he'd been trying to wake her up, but he had to admit that it was flattering on her body… _"Wait, what the hell am I thinking? This malfeasance has to stop."_ He shook his head, hearing her say goodnight before letting out a scoff and walking back to his usual location on the arena floor. He couldn't stop thinking about what she'd just told him, and he was getting extremely aggravated at the fact that he was unable to put all these familiar pieces together.

" _Someone took her, but who? And when?"_ He thought, almost boring holes into the marble's surface from staring at it so long. _"Various factors don't add up, yet several details are so familiar. I shouldn't be having such an issue figuring this out, and it's bothersome that I am."_ He paused, turning to look at where Sayah slept, _"She has no energy signature, but she might be just an incredibly weak human."_ He suddenly remembered each instance that she was somehow able to free herself from his grasp, such as when Goku had shown up, and when she'd managed to push him earlier while she was asleep. _"She shouldn't have enough strength to do such a thing. And when she did, she should've exuded some life energy from the effort…"_ He narrowed his eyes at her slumbering form, _"This is all so illogical. And her name…why is it so familiar?_ " He thought, wishing he could take out his brain and shake it for answers, _"Wait a minute. Could she be…a Saiyan?"_ His eyes widened as he watched her, but he quickly shook his head no. _"There is no possible way she could be a Saiyan. I would've been able to detect her energy immediately, and she would be much, much stronger than she is."_ He sighed, placing his fingertips on the bridge of his nose and squeezing gently, _"I should be focusing on the tournament, instead of wasting precious time on…"_ He crossed his arms and looked at Sayah one last time before turning around, _"…her."_

* * *

 **A/N: So, any guesses as to what Sayah's background is? Some of you may have already figured it out! There's a few clues in here, but all will be revealed soon, I promise. As always, thanks for reading, and leave your questions/comments/suggestions/etc in a review or send them to me via PM!**

 **Many hugs!**

 **~SinTotchi**


	7. Home, Sweet Home

A Need Unknown

Chapter 7

 **A/N: Hi everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and I want to give a thank you to Luminaaa for sending me a PM about the story! I love getting them as well as reviews, and they're all very much appreciated! Speaking of reviews, I haven't had a review in a long time, but I wasn't sure if that was just because I'd somehow disabled reviews (which I checked, and it doesn't seem so), or if there was nobody really reviewing the story/chapters. As long as everyone can still post reviews I'll be happy, I just want to make sure it isn't some problem on my end or 's end, haha. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, everyone! The next one should hopefully be out soon!**

* * *

Sayah awoke to the familiar feeling of the sun kissing her skin. She rolled over a bit, yawning and stretching before she sat up slowly, looking over to see Cell in his usual spot. She smiled sheepishly, remembering all that had happened the previous night and blushing lightly at the thought, getting up off her blanket-bed and stretching again. "Ugh, this floor is so uncomfortable…and cold." She whispered, walking over to one of the bags and grabbing some clothes to change into, quickly jumping into the routine she'd had to become accustomed to.

A few hours had passed by, and Sayah sat at the edge of the ring, as she usually did, staring at the barren surface. She reasoned it odd that there were woods nearby yet the land near the ring was desolate, but she hadn't given much thought to it, and she wasn't about to start today, especially considering what had happened yesterday. She nibbled on her bottom lip for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not she should talk to Cell about what happened, and finally gave in when she exasperated herself trying to figure out why she'd done it to begin with.

She lifted herself up and dusted her shorts off, as if there was something on them. She had been going over in her head about what to say to him, and how to respond to any of his comments or questions or anything he might have, thinking she was prepared enough to speak with him about it. She turned on her heel and headed over to where he stood meditating with his head down, as was his norm, and she walked around to face him, noticing he didn't move.

"Hey, Cell…about last night…"

"Save it." Cell spoke up, lifting his hand in a motion to stop her before she continued any further. He lifted his head slightly but only enough so that he could look down at her, especially since she was shorter than him. He moved his hand back to have his arms crossed again, and stared at her with a piercing, icy glare. "It was a mistake, and it never should've happened. I let primal instincts take over instead of my extensive intellect, and it was an error I won't care to soon repeat." He turned his head to the side, looking over to the horizon as if trying to focus on anything but her face, "Believe me when I say such a lapse in judgment won't ever happen again." He didn't bother to look at her before he closed his eyes and returned his posture to his meditative state, not wanting to see her reaction. Truthfully, he was expecting her to say those words to him, which is why he presumed he'd take the upper hand and say them first, to save himself not only the trouble but any future thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Sayah felt like she'd been punched in the gut and slapped hard in the face at the same time. That wasn't what she was expecting him to say; in fact, she didn't expect him to say anything at all, and she thought she'd be doing all the blabbering and tripping over her own words trying to explain what she'd felt during their kiss, and even later when he'd woken her up during that terrible nightmare. She couldn't help but think herself a fool, especially because she'd believed he might also feel the same, and had only stared at him in a mix of surprise and disbelief as he'd been speaking to her. When he finished, she stood there for a lingering moment before opening her mouth to speak, but only one word coming out in a strained voice. "...Right."

She turned on her heel and hurriedly walked away from him, trying to figure out who she was more livid with – herself, or Cell for being such an ass. She settled on herself, especially after doing some reminding that he had been an ass to begin with, and continued walking off the ring and to her usual safe haven – the spring in the woods.

When she arrived, she sat down on the grass and crossed her legs, staring at the ground and trying to calm down. She placed her hands on her face, taking deep breaths and muttering to herself. "I must be the biggest idiot to walk this Earth. How could I even think…he's a _murderer_ , for Kami's sake, he probably can't even have any feelings! He almost killed me a few days ago, had that blonde guy not shown up and interrupted him. I can't believe I thought…I can't even say it out loud." She shook her head, moving her hands away and letting out a deep sigh, her mouth settling into a thin line. "He's such a jerk…but I'm glad he said that before I made an even bigger fool of myself. I'm not falling into that trap again." She uttered, slowly laying down on her side and staring at the falling water in the distance, smiling slightly. "At least I have somewhat of an escape…" She whispered, watching the cascade and allowing the calming sounds around her to release some of her stress.

* * *

A few more hours passed, and night had befallen the sky. Cell knew that Sayah hadn't returned since she'd left earlier, and he wondered if what he'd said to her before had upset her, but he quickly dismissed the thought when he reassured himself that that was what she'd wanted to say to him to begin with, and he'd just been a bit quicker to the punch. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling, however, and growled in exasperation as he gave in to his curiosity of where she could be and what she'd been doing. He had a feeling she was most likely in the spot where she bathed, and hoped he wouldn't run into her doing so while trying to check on her, not wanting to risk any possible…uncomfortable…encounters.

He quickly flew over the landscape and found the spot with ease, looking down through the few holes in between the tree branches and was able to make out parts of her torso, legs, and her feet lying on the ground. A feeling very unfamiliar to him and very strange rose in his chest, and he wouldn't admit to himself that he might've been afraid she was injured. Since he couldn't sense her life force, which still bothered him to this day, he wouldn't have been able to detect whether or not she'd been in trouble, which meant he couldn't have intercepted any possible harm that came to her. He descended quickly but quietly into the small clearing, not bothering to notice the various pairs of animal eyes that watched him curiously behind the safety of the nearby bushes and trees.

He knelt down on one knee next to her, studying her movements promptly and cautiously, breathing an internal sigh of relief when he saw her chest rising and falling steadily as she lay on her side – she was asleep. He reached out for her arm but stopped himself hesitantly, deciding instead to stand, cross his arms, and say her name brusquely, in an effort to wake her up. He watched her stir, keeping his face blank as she groaned quietly and sat up, sluggishly.

"Wha…?" She uttered, spotting a large green blur out of the corner of her eye and turning swiftly, eyes widening. "What the hell!" She stood up, realizing it was Cell, and his recent words stung her memory, causing her to look away and refuse to meet his gaze.

"What are you doing here, Cell?" She asked, almost angrily.

Cell ignored her tone and stared at her, replying in his usual condescending manner. "You've been gone a few hours. I came to ensure you were still alive."

Sayah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well I _am_ , as if you care. You don't have to keep tabs on me like I'm a child." She retorted, mirroring his stance and crossing her arms as well.

"Obviously I do, otherwise you would've likely slept here all night and left yourself open to any and all dangers inside these woods." Cell replied matter-of-factly, smirking at her and amused by her irritation.

Sayah glared at him, releasing her arms and walking up to him in frustration. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had to keep a short leash on all your toys," she taunted, standing a few feet away from him and clenching her fists.

"Well, I do when they decide to think for themselves…and run away." He uttered coldly, his mood suddenly changing from haughty to livid.

"Who says I was running away? Maybe I just needed a break from _you_ and your arrogant, condescending attitude!" She yelled, throwing her arms in the air and turning around so her back was facing him. "You know what, Cell?! Why don't you just take me home, and save yourself the possible lapse in judgement? I'm obviously nothing to you, and I'm not any more of a challenge, so just take me back home so I can live my last remaining days on this Earth in peace."

Cell narrowed his eyes at her, fists clenched and gritting his teeth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning her words over in his mind and deciding that that was probably what she really wanted, even if he didn't.

"…Very well. As you wish."

Sayah turned back around suddenly, eyes wide as she stared at him. "What? Are you serious? Just like that?" She asked, the mental shackles around her wrists suddenly disappearing, and she tried to hide her excitement in her next words. "Well…thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I was growing weary of your constant presence nevertheless, and I am in the process of prepararing for my tournament." He uttered bitterly, walking over to her and picking her up by the waist, flying her to her home quite a few miles away. He hadn't thought to stop at his tournament ring beforehand for her to gather her things since he was so angry, a decision he would later much regret.

* * *

When they landed, Cell set her down in front of her home and was about to take off when he heard her speak, hesitating.

"Wait, how did my door get fixed? And the wall?" Sayah asked incredulously, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"I fixed them the other day while I was gone. You don't have to thank me." He replied coolly, turning again to leave before her words stopped him once more.

"Cell wait! I—" Sayah bit her lip, facing him and shyly meeting his gaze. The look in his eyes was no longer the curious one she'd seen in the past couple of days, but instead he looked aloof, as if trying to keep himself from feeling anything but coldness or anger. The look sent a chill down her spine, and her eyes softened dejectedly before she peeled them away. "…no, nothing. Nevermind. Goodbye, Cell."

Cell tried to ignore the look in her eyes as he turned his back to her and leapt up, taking off into the starry sky back to his tournament ring.

Sayah watched him, staring at the spot in the sky he'd disappeared into and feeling her eyes beginning to water. _"Why the hell am I so upset about this?"_ She thought, blinking the tears away and shaking her head, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her chest as she went inside. She turned the light on to her living room and looked around, letting out a sigh. It really did look as if nothing had ever happened – the hole was repaired, and her door and its hinges were fixed and perfectly back in place. She stared at the spot on the wall that Cell had pinned her against the first time they'd met, and she felt a lump start to form in her throat before she shut the downstairs light off and hurriedly made her way up the steps to her bedroom, the floor lamp at the head of the stairs casting a dim light on the staircase since it'd never been turned off.

Cell landed on his tournament ring, freezing in place when he saw all of Sayah's belongings on one corner of the ring. His fists tightened and he clenched his jaw, cursing inwardly before turning around so that his back would be facing them and crossed his arms, resuming his meditative stance, but doing anything but meditating. He felt angry, infuriated even, but what bothered him was the fact that he didn't know if he was really angry at Sayah or just at himself. He tried to reason out in his mind all the ways that the feelings he'd started to have were illogical and counterintuitive to what he was trying to achieve, but no matter how hard he tried, as soon as he thought of her he felt a deep longing that he knew couldn't be satisfied by anything, or anyone, else. He finally let out a loud yell, releasing his frustrations and giving him enough stress relief for him to push everything else out of his brain and finally focus on meditating.

* * *

When the next morning came, Sayah arose and smiled when she felt the silk of her sheets and softness of her mattress surrounding her. She sat up, yawning and stretching simultaneously, before getting up and walking over to her glass double-doors that led into her bedroom balcony. She walked out, looking up to see the tall trees creating a canopy well above her home, light shining through the various gaps in between the branches and leaves and casting a beautiful glow on the ground. She took in a deep breath, eyes closing during, and only opening after she'd released it. She looked out past her balcony, into the distance, her eyes lost as if searching for something. "Cell…" She uttered quietly, quickly shaking her head after saying his name and turning away from the balcony, walking back inside. She closed the doors behind her and walked to her dresser to change into a pair of comfy yet not-too-loose black sweats and a purple tank top, heading downstairs to grab a few bites for breakfast.

When she was done, she walked over to her office and turned on her work laptop, sighing as she settled down into her cozy office chair. "I hope nobody noticed I disappeared for a few days…" She uttered, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, a few loose strands framing her face. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped when she saw how many emails she had to catch up on, causing her to groan and rest her forehead on the desk. "Hundreds, if not thousands, of emails. This is gonna take all day…" She let out a deep sigh, rubbing her shoulders a bit before placing her hands on the keyboard. "Well, let's get to work."

* * *

Cell stood in the middle of his arena, where he'd slowly been inching closer and closer to Sayah's belongings, now pacing in front of them. He'd been contemplating whether or not to keep them there, return them to her, or just simply blow them up, but every time he thought about destroying them he felt a twang of guilt, almost as if he knew he couldn't destroy something that belonged to her. He was getting more and more frustrated with the feelings that plagued him, and he didn't understand how someone like him, who'd been created solely to seek and destroy, could even possibly begin to grasp, much less experience, any emotions that weren't included primarily in his design.

He eventually caved in to curiosity and walked over, picking up each item that lay scattered on his arena, studying it, and then placing it into one of those horridly pink bags Sayah had brought from one of the stores in Ginger Town. He took his time doing this, almost as if doing so would help him learn more about her or even about the affections that had lately decided to silently torment him. He had spent most of the day trying to meditate and failing miserably, so when he was done picking up everything and placing each into their bags he stood up straight, staring down the items and trying to decide what to do next. He pondered this for another hour, at which time the stars had freckled the sky, and he finally gave in to the temptation of returning the items to her. After all, they weren't his…

He hovered slightly with his arms crossed, using the same force to pick up the bags, and flew the same way he'd done yesterday, using the exact same route, until he reached Sayah's home. He landed a few feet away from the door, still with his arms crossed, and set all of the items in front of the door, glancing inside. He noticed a light emitting from the other side of the house, and he flew over there, looking in the window into a room that was filled with more bookshelves, but also what looked like various mechanical and technological items, a few on each bookcase, and quite a few laying on a table on the opposite side of a large desk. He noticed a laptop and didn't even realize he smirked when he saw Sayah sitting in front of it, a very bored and tired look on her face. He tried to remain in the shadows as he watched her, listening to the conversation she seemed to be having with herself.

"Come on, people. How many emails do you have to send cancelling work lunch meetings?" Sayah groaned, exasperated and running her hand down her face. She was in her last round of emails, with only a dozen or so left. "I can't believe I got through all those. Although it did help to mass-delete all the ones that asked me where I was, how I was doing, if I was still alive…" She leaned back in her desk chair, placing her hands behind her head briefly and laughing, "Because I can email if I'm dead, right? What kind of email is that? 'Sayah, are you alive? Email us back your status ASAP please!'" She mocked, rolling her eyes. "I should send them an email that says, 'Sorry, I was taken by Cell and forced to stay with him for a few days. Don't worry, I'm okay. And he's…not that bad…he's very intelligent, and handsome…" Her words trailed off and she shook her head, her cheeks turning a dark shade of red. She pushed herself off her desk quickly and shut her laptop, heading towards the door. "Ugh, I'm so dumb. Maybe I should've taken that guy from Computer Engineering up on his dinner date offer two weeks ago…" She paused in the doorway, her hand reaching up for the light switch as she briefly looked back to her laptop, smiling. "Nah…I can't care for someone who doesn't just absolutely take my breath away." She shut the light off, muttering the phrase "No wonder I've been single for so long" as she did so, and walked out.

Cell had been watching her, amused, and immediately became smug when he heard her say she thought him handsome. His eyes never moved from her form, and he'd frowned when he'd heard her mention the dinner date on her way to the door, frozen in shock when he saw Sayah staring in his direction, thinking she'd spotted him. He quickly realized she was looking at her computer, and he shook his head at himself as he continued to listen, making his way to the roof of the house.

Sayah halted her movements when she heard something stirring outside her front door. She was just about to go up the stairs and to bed when she'd heard it, paralyzing her as she tried to figure out what it was, especially since it didn't sound like any forest animal she'd ever heard. She quietly made her way to the door, opening it and blinking twice when she didn't see anyone or anything, at least until she looked down and saw the bags full of her items just sitting there. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she stepped out past the bags and out into her front lawn, looking around to spot anyone, but knowing it would be futile even if someone was there since it was too dark for her to see. She bit her lip nervously before taking another step forward, as if it would make a difference in her search.

"Cell? Cell, are you out there?" She called out eagerly, hearing only crickets and the usual sounds of the forest at night. Her smile dropped and she turned back towards her house, walking up to the bags. "He's probably left already…" She said dejectedly, crouching down next to one of them and picking out the blanket she normally used to cover herself out there. She stood up, staring at it briefly before hugging it close to her, her eyes widening slightly. "It still smells like him…his scent must've gotten on it when he was trying to keep me still while I slept the other night. Probably before I kicked it off or something…" She uttered quietly, looking at it as a sad smile framed her lips.

"Damnit, Cell…I wish you would've just let me speak first…because then I would've told you how I really felt about you, and you wouldn't have had to crush my heart into so many tiny little pieces like you did…" Her eyes welled with tears, but she shook her head and tried blinking them away, shoving the blanket she held back into the bag before picking up all the bags and placing them inside, near the door. She sighed deeply and shut the door behind her, not bothering to lock it before taking out the elastic from her hair and letting it fall down past her shoulders, combing it half-heartedly with her fingers as she made her way up the stairs and to her room.

Cell had been watching her the whole time, standing on her roof silent and unmoving, arms crossed in front of his chest. He couldn't erase the feelings of guilt and regret he felt deep inside, and as much as he tried to ignore them, they remained, seeming to reverberate in his brain and chest. He wondered if he'd been wrong on his assumption that the reason she'd wanted to talk to him was to tell him that she was remorseful of having kissed him, and that it was a momentary slip of her conviction, one that she'd never repeat. No, he couldn't be wrong. He was never wrong…

Cell waited until she was asleep to walk inside. He walked into her office and looked around, noticing a badge hanging by a lanyard on the wall. He reached for it, holding it in his hand as he studied it and read the words printed on it. "Capsule Corporation. Sayah Sparks. Biomedical Engineering…" He whispered, staring at Sayah's smiling picture as if she was staring back with her almond-shaped emerald eyes. He took it off the hook on the wall and held it in his hand as he walked around her home, trying to get more of a sense of what her day-to-day life had been like before he'd arrived. As he looked around, he noticed several paintings and photographs scattered throughout the walls of her home, some of ballerinas and others of what appeared to be major technological undertakings and advances, such as the invention of the capsule to store items. He walked over to a short bookcase and saw a few photographs in frames sitting on top, not very many but mostly all of her and another woman who appeared older than her. One particular photograph was of Sayah in a lab coat, smiling largely and the older woman next to her, in a nurse's uniform, both of them standing in front of a house that didn't look like Sayah's. He furrowed his brows and took his time setting the picture back down, wondering if the older woman was Mira Sparks, the person who'd helped Sayah when she'd escaped from wherever she'd been kept.

He was about to leave when he got an inquisitive spurt and walked back into the office, sitting down in the chair Sayah had been using and opening her laptop, curious to see if he could find more about her this way. He'd learned how to navigate a computer from Dr. Gero, who'd instilled this information into him solely in the rare case he might ever need it. He saw a document on the desktop titled "My Life," and rolled his eyes at the lack of originality in the title. He opened it, and saw that the date was in the top right-hand corner, before looking over and beginning to read it, hearing Sayah's voice as he did.

" _My name is Sayah Sparks, and I am 24 years old. I'm not sure of my first and I know for sure Sparks isn't my true last name, but I don't recognize nor remember anything else, so it will do until I can find out more about my past. I am a Biomedical Engineer at Capsule Corporation, a company that Mira helped me land a job at after we realized that I knew almost everything about the subject, which probably means that that was what I did or studied before I forgot everything. I also seem to know Ballet fairly well, and have taken to practicing it at least once a week, trying to figure out exactly how much I really have knowledge of. I tend to work from home most of the time, preferring to keep to myself so I don't get asked many questions I can't answer._

 _In my spare time, I like to read – knowledge makes me feel powerful, useful, which is something I don't often feel considering the knowledge-less situation I'm in in regards to myself. My home is filled with books and is located quite a few miles away from Capsule Corp., solely because I wanted to be a little closer to Mira since she's all I know, and Mira is closer to the city since she works at Wukong Hospital._

…

 _When I woke up at Mira's, she told me I'd been sleeping for days and that I needed to eat something. She'd made me some tasty soup, and brewed me some more tea in hopes that it would keep me calm. She had helped me change into some of her clothes, and told me that the clothes I'd been wearing were tattered and muddy, but that she was washing them anyway for me._

 _She has kept the clothes in her home since, reminding me of the first instance she showed them to me after I arrived, just after she'd washed and dried them. She told me I screamed like a banshee and began to sob uncontrollably, so she's kept them under lock and key since. I'm terribly afraid to look at them, but they might be the only clue I've got…_

…

 _All the above is written in the possible case of me losing my memory again, so at least I won't have to start from scratch. This file is kept and updated as a record of the small progress I've made in figuring out who I really am, and will be deleted immediately once I learn the truth."_

Cell read through the document's few pages quickly and easily, closing the file before shutting the laptop in a similar fashion as Sayah had done. He now knew he'd figured out at least a portion of what had happened to her and who she was, and clenched his fists tightly as a few of the pieces seemingly began to fall into place. There was still quite a bit that didn't make sense, yet he had his suspicions that there were details hidden in his brain that even he was unable to uncover thus far, and he had a nagging feeling that Dr. Gero most likely had done that on purpose, integrating it into his design. He held Sayah's work ID tightly in his hand as he made his way quietly out of her home, trying to ensure she wouldn't wake up and realize he'd been there.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, what did everyone think? I hope you liked this one, there's a little bit of heartache but it gets better, I promise. Again, please let me know if anyone is having any issues posting reviews, but if not, carry on. Thanks, all!**

 **Many hugs,**

 **~SinTotchi**


	8. A Moment's Bliss

A Need Unknown

Chapter 8

 **A/N: I know this story is rated M, but the latter part of this chapter is _definitely_ rated M, for those of you that don't care to read that sort of stuff. Just wanted to give you all a warning! Please enjoy!**

 **P.S.: A big thanks to Luminaaa and PurelyFictional06 for their input on what they think of the story! Extra hugs for both of you. :3**

* * *

Sayah's eyelids fluttered open slowly, as if in a daze. She sat up in her bed and looked around, almost as if unsure she was really home. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and slid off the bed, showering and changing quickly as she tried not to think about the last time she'd seen Cell, and the look in his eyes when she'd met them. She ate a few bites of breakfast quickly, and walked to the shoe rack near the door until she saw the bags, freezing in place. She felt her heartbeat rise briefly before she heaved a sigh and walked over to grab a comfy pair of walking shoes, putting them on hurriedly before adjusting her black shorts and pink tank top, both of which hugged her curves. She didn't bother grabbing her keys or locking the door since she wasn't planning on staying out too long, and took a few steps out onto her lawn before pausing.

She looked around her at the trees and bushes, smiling a bit. She was reminded of her stay at Cell's arena, and remembered the beauty of nature as she began to walk again. "It'll be nice to get out of the house for a while…and who knows, maybe I'll even find a nice spring right in my own backyard." She laughed, stepping into the familiar canopy of the trees and looking around as she made her way deeper inside, "I guess I have Cell to thank for that…" Her words trailed off and her mind began thinking of the last few days, especially when she'd kissed him.

A couple of hours passed, and Sayah hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. She stopped walking and looked up at the sky, noticing it had begun to darken slightly, and she blinked, confused. "Have I really been gone for that long?" She uttered quietly, remembering that she'd woken up way past noon and laughing at herself, shaking her head. "That's right, I stayed up later than usual last night. Maybe I can find a shortcut back home." She said to no one, looking around for a moment before pointing in a different direction than she'd come from. "That looks kind of familiar. Either way I take, it'll be dark by the time I get home," she added, beginning her walk again as her mind took to wandering off once more.

She'd been walking for a few minutes when she heard the crunching of leaves and twigs as well as some quiet growling in the distance. She paused, turning to look in the direction she'd heard the noise and furrowing her eyebrows, noticing the growl was only getting louder. She felt a hint of fear in her chest, and she squinted to look at what was hiding behind the bushes when swiftly it appeared, what looked to be a huge saber-toothed cat or some other form of large feline, approaching her just like they would her prey.

"Shit," She whispered under her breath, and cautiously looked around her for something to use as a weapon, but only saw small twigs and leaves. She began to step back slowly, away from it, but for every step she took she saw it take one towards her as well. She suddenly panicked and took off into a full-fledged run, thanking herself for wearing sneakers as she did so, and felt the feline hot on her heels, causing her to panic even more. Her body began to tire as she moved, and just as she wondered if this was how she was going to spend her last moments, she tripped, falling face first onto the green grass and hearing the cat snarl as it lunged, missing her only because she'd fallen. She speedily rolled over onto her back, and sat up just in time to see the predator turn around and stare at her, causing her to rapidly back up in the opposite direction until she was sitting up against a tree trunk. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat when she saw it lunge for her once more, and she couldn't do anything but close her eyes and hold her hands out defensively in front of her, as if that was going to stop it. The next moment went by like a blur, and she only felt a large portion of energy leaving her body barely a second before she heard a loud thud, surprising her enough that she opened her eyes. She saw the feline laying a few feet from her, a large, gaping hole in its chest, and as blood began to seep from it she stood up, adrenaline pumping as she hesitantly walked over to it. She stood over it for a moment, and lifted her hands up to look at them just as all the adrenaline left her and she fell over from exhaustion. She barely registered landing in a pool of blood and seeing what appeared to be Cell's feet walking up from the distance, a small smile tracing her lips before everything went dark and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Cell's eyes snapped open and he was forced out of his meditation as soon as he noticed the sudden release of energy. It was both familiar and unfamiliar, and he knew it didn't belong to any of the warriors he expected to show at his tournament, but he recognized that it had come from the direction of the same woods Sayah's home was located in. He took off immediately, flying full speed en route to where he'd felt said energy be released.

He arrived just in time to see the fallen feline with a wide hole through its body laying on the ground, and Sayah staring down at it and then at her hands, just before she fell to the ground and unconscious shortly after. He walked up to them, studying the animal's wound briefly before looking at her, eyes widening. _"Did she do this? How is that possible?"_ He thought dubiously, crouching down next to her and noticing the blood on her, inwardly panicking. _"Did I not make it in time?"_ He added, turning her body over onto its back and studying it for any wounds, realizing she had none. He took a swipe of the liquid on Sayah's arm and sniffed it, realizing it was animal blood. "All of this blood is the feline's," he whispered quietly, picking Sayah up bridal style and quickly flying to her home, hurrying inside.

He set her down on her bed, on a towel he'd found hanging in the adjacent bathroom since he didn't want to get any blood on where she slept. He quickly grabbed some washcloths he found under her sink, dipping them in water and wringing them out so they were just damp, using them to clean the blood off of her. He paused briefly when he realized he'd have to change her out of the crimson-stained clothes she was wearing, and walked over to a closet, finding a black nightgown similar to the one she'd worn at his ring. His thoughts fleeted briefly to that night, and he shook his head to snap himself out of it before taking the garment off the hanger and setting it on the nightstand next to him. He hesitated as he reached for her tank top, taking it off and breathing a small sigh of relief when he saw her brassiere, his mind wandering again to when he'd pulled her out of the water a few nights ago. He had to snap himself out of the memory once more, trying to hurry and change her quickly but carefully. When he finished, she was wearing her nightgown and laying under the sheets, the blood-stained clothes and towels in a hamper he assumed was for laundry.

He walked back over to her, staring down at her sleeping face for a while, as if trying to decide whether to stay or go. He debated the thought for a few seconds longer before finally deciding to leave, telling himself that she wasn't in any danger and she didn't need anyone to take care of her since she hadn't been injured. He walked over to the glass double doors and opened them, walking out onto the balcony and glancing back for a brief moment before closing them and taking off into the sky, back to his tournament ring.

* * *

Sayah awoke suddenly, fear in her eyes from the dream she'd just had. She sat up quickly and looked herself over, noticing she had no wounds and letting out a sigh of relief. It took her a moment before she realized where she was, and the fact that she was laying tucked inside her bed. She began to remember everything that happened with the large cat, and she placed her hand on her forehead to ensure she didn't have a fever and was hallucinating. When she felt her body's warm regular temperature, she pushed the sheets aside and stood, spotting a body mirror out of the corner of her eye and seeing she wasn't wearing the same clothes as earlier. "So it wasn't a dream…" She stared at herself for a moment before the image of Cell's walking feet flooded her brain and she gasped, looking around. "Cell. I saw him! At least, I think I did…" She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, then froze when she remembered where she was. "That had to have been him, there's no way I got here on my own and changed myself." She whispered, blushing at the last set of words before a feeling of hope rose in her chest, and she began to look through each room in her home, speaking Cell's name aloud as if calling him. When she made it through both upstairs and downstairs with no sign of him, she let out a sad sigh, biting her lower lip and walking over to the bags he'd brought her the previous day. She reached into it and picked up the blanket she'd noticed his scent on, carrying it upstairs and placing it over her bed. She realized she was still wearing the same undergarments she'd had earlier that day and changed out of her bra, walking over to one of her drawers and looking for the matching silk-and-lace panties to the nightgown she was wearing. When she found them, she changed quickly and then walked back over to her bed, adjusted the blanket so it was laying mostly on the side she slept on, and gingerly made her way under the sheets again, closing her eyes and whispering softly.

"Who am I kidding. I'll probably never get to see him again…"

* * *

Cell stared impatiently at the spot where Sayah had once sat, as if still expecting her to be there. His arms were crossed and his lips were turned down into a frown, deep in thought. _"She had to be the one who created the blast, there's no other explanation,"_ He thought, remembering the way she'd looked at her hands before collapsing, and the size and shape of the hole in the animal's body. _"But if that's the case, then she can't be a human. But she's also not a Saiyan, or I would've already found that out, especially during our first encounter. She would've been able to fight me, or at least not tire out so easily from running,"_ He added, narrowing his eyes as if glaring, _"Which leads me to believe my suspicions were correct. She must be an android, but not like the rest of them…at least not if she was created by Dr. Gero."_ He paused, peeling his steely gaze to stare up at the night sky, _"There really is no other explanation. That must be why her name sounded so familiar…I must've found her because Gero wanted me to. Although I'm sure the good doctor would've never expected this turn of events,"_ He smirked, thinking of the kiss he and Sayah had shared, and looking back down at the corner. He uncrossed his arms and thought about the way she'd looked at him when he'd managed to wake her up from that nightmare, her eyes full of yearning and even lust. He closed his eyes briefly, clenching his fists before he made up his mind, jumping into the air in the direction of Sayah's home.

When he arrived, he descended onto her balcony, seeing that she hadn't closed the curtains, which allowed him a clear view into her bedroom, and of her sleeping form on the bed. He watched her this way for a while, until he could no longer stand to be on the other side of the glass and slid the doors open quietly, stepping inside. He didn't bother closing them behind him, since he knew he'd most likely leave through that route anyway. He walked over to her bed, noticing the blanket and that she was laying on the opposite end of where he stood, but slept facing him. He sat down on the bed slowly, almost unsure of his own actions as he watched her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear as he felt those unfamiliar emotions again. His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard her speak, and he froze for a moment before realizing she was indeed still asleep, watching her face closely as he listened.

"Cell…please come back…" She uttered in her sleep, her fingers curling to grab her pillow and her face full of sorrow, "Please tell me I'm not crazy and that you care about me…"

Cell stared at her for a moment, hesitating. "You're not crazy," He whispered quietly, knowing she couldn't hear him. He watched as a tear fell from her eye and began to trickle down her face, which he caught with his thumb and wiped it away, still watching her.

Sayah barely felt someone's touch on her face and she stirred gently, gradually opening her eyes. She figured she was still asleep when she thought she saw what looked like Cell's armor in front of her, and she sat up gently, moving a strand of hair out of her line of sight. Her eyes trailed up his torso and stopped when she saw his face, staring briefly before parting her lips to speak. "Cell, please tell me that's really you." She whispered, her emerald eyes full of longing as she stared into his fuchsia ones.

Cell didn't speak, but merely stared at her as the feelings he'd suppressed for so long began to resurface. She was so close, right there in front of him that he almost couldn't believe it himself, and he felt his body's desire to touch her grow stronger, so much so that he decided to give in. He leaned forward slowly, almost tentatively, and closed his eyes just as he placed his lips on hers, tasting the strawberry that he remembered from their first real kiss.

Sayah watched him nervously as he stared at her, and she was sure she was seeing things until, just before she said something else, he began to lean towards her and kissed her. She felt a new and strange yet wonderful tingling sensation go down her entire body, her cheeks flushing as she returned his kiss, reaching her hands up to rest on his shoulders. She felt him tense briefly as she ran her hands further up to rest behind his head, but it didn't last long as she soon felt him relax again, slowly pulling away and looking at her. She stared into his eyes before lifting herself up to her knees, barely past his height and only because he was still sitting on the bed, their entranced stare never breaking. She moved her hands from his neck to his face, one on each side and only breaking their gaze as she leaned down to him, kissing him wistfully.

Cell couldn't hold himself back any longer and he deepened the kiss, placing his hands on her waist and lifting her up, pulling her onto his lap. He allowed his body to explore these foreign feelings and sensations, ones that he would dare say might even outmatch the feeling he got when he won a battle and took down an enemy. He pulled her closer, the space between their bodies nonexistent as he felt her open her mouth just enough to allow him to explore it with his tongue, feeling her body grow hotter with his touch. He ran his hands down the sides of her frame until they landed on her thighs, and he felt primal instinct take over as he easily picked her up and stood, feeling as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and pinned her up against the wall opposite her bed. Their kiss broke but only for him to look at her briefly, his eyes taking in the flush on her cheeks and moving to her lips when she whispered his name, noticing that the straps of her gown were off her shoulders and her dark brown hair rested on them instead, suddenly remembering the images of her he'd seen when they'd first met. He realized they must've been visions of this very moment, and he looked back up at her face, seeing the look of unrestrained desire burning in her eyes as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

He reached over and grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head as he kissed her once more, roughly, knowing that he was losing control but not bothering to care. He held her arms there and ran his hand down her chest, allowing primal instinct to take over as he explored what he'd longed for but had kept himself away from. He traced his hand down to her thigh again and up her leg, touching her mound inquisitively through her soft, silky undies and smirking when she gasped, her back arching towards him and feeling as she struggled to free her hands, wanting to touch him. He pulled her nightgown off in one motion, releasing her wrists and feeling as she immediately placed her hands on his shoulders, looking down at him. He met her gaze briefly before pulling her close, kissing her neck and feeling the goosebumps forming on her skin when he traced his hands across her breasts. Although this was completely unfamiliar to him, he was letting his body, desires, and newly unearthed feelings take control, unable to stop himself from exploring her body as much as she would let him.

He knew he couldn't take it any longer when all he could focus on was the reaction she'd given him earlier, and he hungered for more. He pulled back from kissing her neck and looked up at her, seeing fondness and curiosity in her eyes. She kissed him fiercely and he ripped her underwear off effortlessly, taking care not to harm her as she smiled into his lips. He placed his hands on her thighs again and turned back to the bed, breaking the kiss only to lay her down, stepping back and looking at her. He ran his eyes down her body slowly, taking in every inch of her and committing it to memory before he reached down, removing the black, hardened plate armor covering his privates. He saw Sayah glance down briefly, and he felt a tingle of self-consciousness knowing that his outward appearance most definitely didn't compare to a human's, which most likely meant that his inner didn't either. He looked back up at her eyes and was met with affection and wonder, and he saw her smiling at him as she slowly and tentatively parted her legs, inviting him, and he then knew she didn't care. He traced his hands up her legs and leaned forward over her, noticing the delicate skin of her thighs brush against the outside of his armored body, feeling everything.

He towered over her and leant down to kiss her, using one arm to support himself as the other yearned to touch her warm body, his hand running anywhere and everywhere until it landed on her lower lips. He pulled back and observed her face closely as he traced his finger inside her lips, wanting to remember each and every detail. He paid close attention as he watched her, noticing the way she would react to certain touches and repeating them, noticing how her breathing was beginning to speed up. He could smell her scent so strongly that he almost couldn't hold himself back, but he did, wanting to see her enjoy this as much as he was, wanting for once to do something for someone other than himself, the one being on this planet he knew he truly cared about. He was fighting primal instincts with everything he had, her moans driving him almost crazy until suddenly, he felt her body shudder and her back arched, causing her to yell out his name. Her scent was even stronger now, and he smirked when she opened her eyes and smiled at him, placing her hands on each side of his face.

"Cell…I want you." Sayah whispered, her voice full of aching desire as she reached up and kissed him, wrapping her legs loosely around his waist. She was breathing heavily now, and she laid her head back down on the bed but refused to move her hands, which were now caressing his face.

Upon hearing the words she spoke and the tone of her voice, Cell knew he couldn't suppress his desire for her any longer and placed himself directly over her, entering her and letting out a deep, husky growl at the magnificent sensation. He watched her eyes closely, and noticed as they went from longing to lustful as he did so, feeling as her legs tightened around his waist and allowed him to go deeper. He closed his eyes, managing to keep enough control of his body so he didn't rip her bedsheets and break the bed beneath them. After a brief second, once he'd gotten more used to the feeling, he opened his eyes again and was met with Sayah's emerald ones, which smiled and shone in the moonlight peeking through the open glass doors. He started off slowly, feeling as Sayah's grip tightened on his shoulders, and he watched her face closely, listening as her breathing began to pick up even more and she made soft whimpers that turned into loud moans as he picked up speed. He felt the sensation inside him growing as he watched her, and he picked her up suddenly and pinned her against the wall again, tracing his hands up her arms as he held them above her head, feeling as she interlaced his fingers with his once their hands were touching. He never lost rhythm, and the space between their bodies was zero once more as he stared into her half-lidded eyes, neither of them wanting the moment to end.

Sayah was holding his hands so tightly she thought she'd break his fingers, but as she looked deep in his eyes she felt herself getting closer and closer to her climax again. She barely managed to whisper, "Cell, I'm going to—," before she reached her peak, moaning his name so loudly she was sure anyone within a 10-mile radius had heard her.

Cell knew she was getting close by the way her body reacted to every single one of his movements and his touch, as well as by watching her face and seeing the same signs he'd seen a few minutes beforehand. He was breathing deeply as well, knowing that his release was near and was brought on even sooner by hearing her words, releasing her hands and wrapping his arms around her petite frame, holding her tight to him. He didn't stop thrusting even after she climaxed again, his name escaping her lips in an array of pleasure and longing, and he knew he was close. He kissed her passionately and roughly as he felt his body succumb to not only primal pleasures, but the feelings he knew he'd grown for her and the mesmerizing feeling of knowing she cared for him too, regardless of what he looked like or what he'd done. He felt his body shudder in a similar way hers had and he broke their kiss only to growl even deeper than he had before, her name barely decipherable when he grunted it. The feeling he'd had was similar to when he went Super Saiyan, except it was much, much better and infinitely more pleasurable.

He held her close with one arm, placing the other against the wall to support himself, but there were strong shockwaves still coursing through his body from his release, and he accidentally made a large hole in the wall where his hand was. He shook the debris off his fingers easily, turning and setting Sayah down on the bed, exiting her slowly and carefully, hearing her let out a tiny sigh when he was done. He stretched himself to his full height, looking down at her and meeting her gaze, still trying to catch his breath.

Sayah eyed him curiously, smiling. She watched him replace the piece of armor that protected his groin and sat up, glancing over at her nightgown on the floor and gasping lightly when she saw it levitate and make its way over to her. She let out a soft laugh when it reached her, plucking it out of the air and putting it on, standing up on the bed. She was now at Cell's eye level and she stepped forward, closer to him, and placed her hands on his chest, staring deep into his eyes.

"I'm so glad you came back…" She whispered, her eyes softening as she looked at him and placed one hand on his cheek, leaving the other on his chest.

Cell grinned mischievously, showing his perfect teeth, then placed his hand over hers on his face, "I am as well." He uttered quietly, suddenly picking her up bridal style, hearing her yelp in surprise. He walked over to the side of the bed she slept on and sat her down on it, feeling her reach out immediately for his hand.

"Wait, you're not leaving, are you?" Sayah asked, biting her lip nervously.

"Not unless you wish me to." He responded, looking down at her and looking at her eyes, which stared back with yearning and desire.

"No, not at all. Please, stay with me." She patted the spot next to her on the bed, watching as his eyes moved from her, to it, then back to her.

Cell hesitated for only a brief second before smirking. "Very well. I shall stay." He watched her eyes beam to life and full of happiness, and released her hand as he walked to the opposite side of the bed she was on. "I don't sleep, but feel free to." He crossed his arms across his chest, looking at her with a smug smile.

Sayah rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. "Well thank you for giving me permission." She responded, laying down under the sheets and snuggling up to them. "And you feel free to sit or lay down on the bed next to me." She grinned, her eyelids getting heavy as she felt her body's weariness to the fullest, falling almost immediately asleep once she closed her eyes.

Cell stared at her, watching as she drifted off into sleep. He sat down on the bed briefly before deciding to lay on his back, placing his hands behind his head as he stared forward at the hole he'd made in the wall of the house. He smirked, closing his eyes and remembering every detail of what he and Sayah had just shared, and allowed himself to get lost in the memories they'd just made.

* * *

 **A/N: So, I hope those of you that read this entire chapter liked it! This was my first time actually writing out a detailed scene like this, so hopefully I did okay! Again, thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your comments!**

 **Many hugs,**

 **~SinTotchi**


	9. The Second Shard

A Need Unknown

Chapter 9

 **A/N: Hi everyone! I just wanted to point out the M-rated suggestive tones at the very end of this chapter, but it's not quite as M as the last one. If you want to skip that, then don't read the last two or three paragraphs, but the rest of the chapter is very important, so be sure not to miss it!**

 **As usual, a big shoutout to PurelyFictional06 - I think you'll find that they still have some more to go through before the tournament even begins! ;D**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Sayah awoke with a yawn, opening her eyes and expecting to see Cell next to her, frowning when he wasn't. She sat up suddenly and looked around, seeing a hint of green out of the corner of her eye and grinning, realizing he was standing out on the balcony. She slipped out of bed and walked over to him, feeling the gentle morning breeze flutter her hair through the open double doors. She stopped when she was close to him, noticing as he stood with his arms crossed, looking into the distance as if he was thinking deeply about something. She reached her hand out slowly to touch his wing, remembering what had happened the last time she'd done so, but pushing the thought aside. She rested her hand on it briefly before tracing her fingers down, feeling the smooth and strong surface, her lips turning up into a curious smile as she did so. She felt him shudder slightly at her touch, and she knew she'd gotten him out of his thoughts when he turned around to face her. She placed her hand back at her side briefly as she looked up at him, smiling. "You seemed to be deep in thought."

Cell hummed a response as he looked down at her, seeing her long, wavy hair framing her face and looking slightly messy, smirking because he knew why. He placed his hands on her waist and picked her up effortlessly, turning around and setting her down on the balcony's wide ledge so she was sitting. He felt her place her hands on his chest and he paused, staring at her and feeling her heartbeat quicken as he held her close.

Sayah traced her hands up to his neck and pulled him towards her gently, feeling him give no resistance. She placed her lips on his and kissed him deeply, not wanting to stop but knowing she had to – the look on his face had worried her. She moved one hand up to rest on the side of his face and paused, watching him curiously. "You seemed to be thinking hard about something."

Cell hesitated, knowing that eventually he'd have to tell her. He turned his head slightly to look off into the distance, almost as if lost. "I was thinking about many things. One of them being my tournament."

Sayah's smile faded slowly, and she wondered why he still wanted to go through with it, especially after what they'd shared the night before. "Cell…you don't have to do this, you know. You have that choice."

Cell stayed silent for a moment, his eyes still lost in something behind her. "I don't. This is what I was made for," He looked down at her, meeting her gaze again, and hesitated briefly before continuing. "Sayah, I want to make you an offer, and I'd prefer to only say this once. Come with me, leave this planet when I win. Its fate has already been sealed."

Sayah's eyes widened at his words, seeing that he was serious. She bit her lip nervously, thinking for a moment before responding. "Cell, I…I don't know if I can go with you. This is my home, where I belong. And, you do realize that if you win your tournament…you'll destroy this world, with me in it." She said, her eyes softening as she looked at him, knowing his resolve to do this was strong but hoping to place a seed of doubt in it. "Besides, I still don't know what happened to me…" She paused briefly, looking away and suddenly recalling his earlier words, "Wait, what do you mean this is what you were made for?" She looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Cell hesitated briefly before answering, looking away. "I was created by the scientific genius, Dr. Gero, to eradicate this world of all his enemies," he paused, looking back to meet her eyes, and taking a moment before speaking again, "I also believe he is responsible for what happened to you."

Sayah froze when she heard Cell speak that name. Her eyes widened at his following sentence, and she pushed him gently away, stepping off the ledge and into her bedroom. "That name…Dr. Gero…" She whispered, turning around and seeing Cell walking towards her, "I know that name. And if what you say is true, and you were created by him…" She paused, her eyes welling up with tears at the thought as she looked at Cell's face, "Did he send you for me? Is that why you came back?" A few tears ran down her cheeks, "Was last night all part of his plan for you, too? To get close enough to trust you and leave willingly?" She yelled, feeling as her heart ached in her chest and turning her face away, unable to look at him.

Cell tried not to show surprise as she questioned his feelings. He could understand the way she was thinking, after all it did seem awfully suspicious that he just happened upon her in the middle of all these woods originally, but he knew she couldn't be further from the truth. He suppressed the hurt he felt at her words and approached her slowly, calmly. "Sayah, that's not how this happened."

"Stay away from me!" She screamed, holding her hand out in front of her as if she could stop him, and feeling another release of energy leaving her, not as strong as the last one, causing her eyes to widen once more.

Cell was surprised when he suddenly felt enough force to push him back a few feet, and flinched out of the way just in time as a beam of light seemingly flew out of Sayah's palm in his direction. The beam went past him and the balcony, and he heard it cut through some of the trees in the distance, causing branches to fall and make a loud echo in the woods nearby. He looked back in time to see Sayah staring at her palm as she fell to her knees, leaning back weakly and sitting on the ground. He knew she was about to collapse again, especially since she didn't yet know how to control the hidden power that she had.

"What the hell did he do to me?" She whispered, eyes moving from her hand to look up at Cell, full of torment and anguish. She didn't stay conscious much longer and she began to fall forward, barely registering as a pair of strong, masculine arms caught her just in time.

Cell held her there for a moment, her head cradled in his neck. He stared at the wall briefly before picking Sayah up and placing her on her bed once more, trying to ignore the feeling of déjà vu. He looked down at her unconscious form and clenched his fists, suddenly feeling a bout of rage envelop him. The one being that he truly cared for, the only one he'd opened up and shared himself with, now hated him, and it was all because of his creator and his twisted logic. He knew he had to go through with the tournament, for his pride, but he needed some time to think and hopefully their moments apart would give Sayah enough time to calm down, and hopefully realize that what had happened between them last night was real, and not at all controlled by Dr. Gero.

He knew he needed to leave, but he stayed by her side a few moments longer, his mind racing to understand what Dr. Gero had needed her for. As far as he knew he was the last android he'd created, and there were no other numbered androids still in existence, causing him to frown. He watched her sleep peacefully, trying to ignore his most recent memories of her and recalled the ones from the night before, slowly reaching out to touch her face. He stopped just inches from her cheek, pulling back suddenly as if he'd been burned and pacing over to the balcony, giving himself one brief last glance at her before flying back to his arena.

* * *

 _Sayah's eyelids fluttered open slowly, taking in the room around her. It was a view she'd become accustomed to, but she couldn't recall how long she'd been staying here. The room was fairly large, and she felt like she was being swallowed up in it sometimes when she tried to go to sleep at night. She sat up leisurely, reaching over to turn on her lamp before shifting her body to slide off the queen-size bed in the middle of the room, and placed her feet on the metal ground, shivering. She quickly stepped on the rug at the side of her bed, next to her, and slipped on the soft, cozy foot-slippers, which were her favorite. She loved that they looked like shoes but were really one big ball of super-soft fabric that covered her entire foot, almost like booties._

 _She made her way over to the bathroom, as was her usual routine, and turned on the light before walking to the shower, humming quietly as she stepped in. She bathed quickly and walked out with a towel wrapped around her body and another around her head, soaking up the water from her long, chocolate-colored hair. She walked over to a closet and opened it, revealing a single-line row of white summer dresses, all identical to each other, and pulled one off its hanger, walking over and setting it on her bed nearby. She walked back to the closet and looked up, seeing two large boxes and two medium ones all next to each other, and pulled one of the large ones out, lifting the lid enough to pull a long, wide ribbon out of it. She folded the ribbon over her arm and replaced the large box, grabbing one of the smaller ones down and pulling out another long, yet much thinner ribbon. She folded this one over her arm as well, placing the smaller box back in its place and walked over to her vanity, setting both ribbons down on it like she'd done so many times before._

 _She walked over to the closet one last time, leaning down and picking up a pair of white slippers with a very low heel. The white of the shoes matched the white on her dress, just like the color of both her ribbons also matched perfectly. She closed the closet door and set the shoes down on the rug next to her bed, moving to dry herself quickly as she put her white undergarments on followed by her dress. She then put on her foot-slippers and headed over to her vanity, sitting down in front of it and picking up her hairbrush. She began brushing her hair tentatively, looking up to stare at her green eyes in the mirror as she did so._

" _ **Snap out of it!"**_

 _She gasped, startled from suddenly hearing the voice. "What? Who was that?" She asked, almost dropping her brush in surprise. She looked around her and, when seeing no one, she resumed brushing her hair, although almost more timidly. When she finished, she set her hairbrush down and grabbed the thin red ribbon, placing it on top of her hair like a headband, and tying it into a bow underneath. She then stood and picked up the larger, wider ribbon, and placed it around her waist, tying it carefully into a bow at the back and turning to look in the mirror. She smiled when she saw two large, white R's on each side of the bow staring back at her, knowing that if they weren't visible she would be in big trouble, but relishing in the fact that she'd gotten damn good at tying it just right._

 _She walked over to her bed and sat, taking the house slippers off and putting on her white ones. She stood and walked to the door, the heels of her shoes making loud clicks on the metal below her, but she ignored them as usual and stepped out of her room, hearing the door close behind her with a 'whoosh.' She walked down a long hallway and paused next to a doorway, placing her hand on it and peeking in, as if she didn't want to be seen. She looked in the back and saw a man's long, white bushy hair with a balding top, hunched over a desk and seemingly writing furiously. She smiled briefly before continuing to walk, heading over to the small kitchen and pulling out some items from the refrigerator. She heated up the oven and placed a frying pan on it, quickly getting into her usual morning routine._

" _ **Stop doing this!"**_

 _She dropped the wooden spoon she was holding, and using to scramble the eggs, on the counter, startled. She closed her eyes tight and shook her head, putting a bit of pressure on her temples. "Why does this keep happening?" She whispered, slowly opening her eyes and seeing that the eggs were beginning to burn. She yelped quietly and began to scramble them again, happy that she was able to save them before they burned completely. She tried to push the voice out of her head, even though it sounded like her own, and quickly finished making breakfast, serving two plates. She grabbed one of them and walked back to the room the man had been in, her steps making their usual clicks as she walked up to him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Here is your breakfast, father."_

 _The man pointed at a table next to him and she complied, setting the food down. She saw him so enveloped in his work that she didn't want to bother him, but her curiosity got the best of her when she peeked over his shoulder. "Who's that?"_

" _Android 19, who is going to fuse my brain into an android body for me, so I can be immortal." He replied gruffly, trying not to lose his concentration._

" _Father, you know I can do that for you…" She replied quietly, her hands in front of her with her fingers interlaced._

 _The man stopped scribbling suddenly, not wanting to look up. "Yes, I know, but although I don't plan on it, I don't want you to be there if anything goes wrong…" He trailed off briefly, quickly snapping himself to and getting back to his blueprint._

 _Sayah nodded, understanding, glancing at the large letters on the upper right of the sketch, which spelled out 'DR. GERO.' "Okay. As you wish, father." She smiled and took a step back, turning and heading towards the door._

" _ **He's not your real father! Snap out of this!"**_

 _She froze, turning slowly to look at Dr. Gero, wondering if he'd heard it too. When he continued to write away, she knew it was definitely only in her mind. She'd begun hearing the voice only a few days prior, and it seemed that it was getting louder and more demanding the more she ignored it. She looked back in front of her and sighed, spotting the large, capsule-like containers to her left. She walked over to them, staring at the two sets of numbers inscribed on the front. "17 and 18," She whispered, looking back in the doctor's direction, wondering if she had the guts to ask him about them today, unlike every day before. She gulped, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Father…why aren't 17 and 18 awake?" She watched as he paused mid-scribble, but not making another move._

" _Because they're insubordinate children," He replied, looking down at his blueprint and was about to resume his writing when her voice stopped him._

" _So, does that mean they're my siblings?" She asked, innocently._

 _Dr. Gero stood up slowly, setting his pencil down on the desk and staring down at his newest design. "No. Only 16 is your sibling. He's your brother."_

 _Sayah stepped back from looking at the pods and walked over to the one in the middle of the room, with the large number 16 inscribed on it, and looked into the clear glass bubble, curious. "My brother…He looks so powerful…" She whispered, her breath fogging the glass for only a moment before it was gone._

 _Dr. Gero turned and looked at her, seeing the admiration in her eyes. "As are you, 16B, but only when necessary."_

 _Sayah blinked, turning to look at him and furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

 _Dr. Gero walked over to her, arms crossed behind his back, and stood next to her in front of 16's pod. "Exactly how it sounds. Your power only comes forth when you are in extreme circumstances, because you were not designed for battle, much like your brother. He can focus his strength and use it as he deems fit, however. But you…you are the closest to a human as all of them, which is why you must be protected."_

 _Sayah looked from him back to 16, smiling slowly. She felt like he truly cared for her, just like a father should, but deep in her core something was screaming at her that this was wrong. The feeling came and went, however, and she turned back to look at the doctor, remembering the other android in the basement. "So have you decided what Cell will look like?"_

 _Dr. Gero gave a curt nod and walked back to his desk, followed closely by Sayah. He sat down and pulled out one of the sketches under the one he was currently working on, staring at it for a moment before speaking again. "Yes, all three of his forms. Here is his final one." He handed her the large blueprint, with the android's face impeccably sketched._

 _Sayah took it, looking over all of the calculations on the page and studying the future android's form, finally settling on his face. She tried to hide a blush as she uttered quietly, "Well, he's handsome…"_

 _Dr. Gero pulled the sketch roughly out of her hands, standing up quickly to face her, his chair making a loud screech on the metal floor. "No, 16B! He is to be naught but your protector, and keep you safe. Nothing more!" He yelled at her, watching her flinch and look away, holding her arms._

" _I-I'm sorry, father. I just thought…I just thought you did a great job in his design, that's all." She took a step back, hesitating before looking back at him._

 _Dr. Gero, upon seeing her reaction, let out a soft 'hmph' and looked back down at the sketch in his hands. "Think nothing of it. Cell will be my ultimate creation, but part of his purpose is to protect one of my most important ones," He responded harshly, turning back to his desk and pulling his chair up to sit down. He said nothing else as he resumed his work on android 19, hearing the clicks of her shoes gradually fading as she walked away._

 _Sayah walked back into the kitchen, realizing her breakfast was now cold. She let out a heavy sigh and walked over to the plate, picking at it and eating some bites, her mind thinking of everything she'd just been told. When she didn't want to eat the rest, she disposed of the food and washed the dishes, cleaning her hands with some soap and water when she was done. She got an idea and bit her lip nervously, trying to be inconspicuous as she walked past the main lab's doors and headed down the stairs to the basement._

 _When she entered, she looked up at the supercomputer and smiled, seeing the large, liquid-filled tube with a small being inside of it. She walked up, arms at her sides and looked up at Cell, in his larval form. She raised one hand and placed it on the clear glass surface, her eyes watching curiously as the bubbles rose inside the container._

" _Hi Cell," She uttered quietly, not really sure why she was doing this, but proceeding anyway, "I'm Android 16B, although our fath—I mean, creator, sometimes calls me Sayah." She paused, looking away for a moment, "I can't really call him our father since you're not my brother, but that's beside the point." She looked back at him, tilting her head slightly to one side. "You know, you're going to be very, very powerful and equally as intelligent when you're all grown up, and that means you have to take care of me. So, you better come find me once you are…I'll be waiting for you."_

* * *

Sayah awoke with a yell, sitting up suddenly and opening her eyes. Her head was throbbing, and she felt like she needed to throw up, her body shaking uncontrollably. She took a few deep breaths and managed to calm down enough to think, ignoring the nausea that plagued her when she did so. Everything suddenly began to make sense, and she staggered over to her bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her thoughts flickered to when she looked in the mirror while at Dr. Gero's lab, and she shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "That was me, I was that voice. This me, the real me…" Her words trailed off and she stared at the counter, her eyes completely lost as she tried to truly grasp the important piece of her memory she'd just uncovered. She felt a hundred different emotions but her body only focused on one, and it was rage. She was so furious that a few tears began to fall onto the countertop from her face, and as she slowly lifted her gaze and looked at herself, a wave of pure, uncontrolled ire rose within her.

"That bastard!" She screamed, simultaneously punching the mirror with her right fist and shattering it into pieces, a few small shards breaking her skin and embedding themselves into her hand. She could feel the pain, but she was too pissed to care, and ignored the blood seeping from her wound as she stepped away, her back resting on the wall as she stared at the shattered mirror. "Extreme circumstances my ass," She hissed, glaring at her reflection in all of the broken pieces, "I can't even break a mirror properly."

She stared at herself another moment before closing her eyes, sliding her back down the wall to sit on the ground, drops of blood landing on her legs as she held her hand out to look at it. She began to tremble and hugged herself, sobbing quietly and shutting her eyes tight.

Cell had been trying to meditate when he suddenly felt a sharp, aching pain, as if someone had punched him in the gut. He opened his eyes in shock and looked around, confused when he realized no one was there, but looked in the direction of Sayah's home and frowned, his eyes narrowing. _"I've never felt that before, not even during any of my battles. That was a unique sensation…but I forebode it isn't a good thing, and that it has everything to do with her."_ He hovered over the ground for a brief moment before taking off full speed, hoping he wasn't too late to do something.

When he landed, he saw that the balcony doors were still open, and he could hear some sobbing nearby. He entered and saw that Sayah was no longer on her bed, ignoring the hints of fear he felt in his chest and continued, immediately smelling her blood. He rushed to the bathroom and froze when he saw the broken mirror, his eyes following the trail of blood from the mirror, to the counter, floor, and from Sayah's legs to her hand resting on her arm. He stooped to one knee next to her, trying to suppress the urge to scoop her into his arms and instead reached out, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her head so she would look at him.

Sayah looked up at Cell through tear-stained eyes, a sense of relief and happiness washing over her. She felt herself smile and suddenly threw her arms around him, nuzzling her face into his neck. "I'm sorry," She uttered, her voice muffled as she felt him recover from the surprise of her actions and return her embrace.

Cell chuckled a bit at her antics and tried to hold back his desire as she pressed her body against his. He moved his hands down to the small of her back as she pulled away, her emerald eyes entrancing him in their stare.

"For earlier," She whispered, reaching up with her left hand and placing it on his cheek. "I shouldn't have yelled at you…I now know that it wasn't Dr. Gero who sent you after me. And even if he did, I gave you the idea first," She paused, caressing his face gently with her thumb before continuing, "Either way, I don't care anymore. I want to spend whatever moments I can, with you…"

Cell closed his eyes, noting the sense of familiarity in her words before opening his eyes again and looking at her. He didn't say anything at first but pulled her close to him, feeling as she wrapped her arms around his neck once more. He leaned over and whispered "hold still" in her ear, using some of his strength to heal her wound.

Sayah felt his breath tickle her ear and she smiled, remembering the sensation she was now having from the first time Cell had healed her, when they'd met. She felt a slight heat envelop her body slowly, and her hand stopped throbbing, the wounds closing as her skin pushed the glass embedded in it out. The shards made soft clicks when they fell to the ground, but she barely heard them as she dug her fingers slightly into his back, involuntarily letting out a quiet groan as the remaining sensations of warmth were released from her body. She slowly pulled away and opened her eyes to meet his, as if searching for something. "You have the most amazing powers…your abilities are limitless." She whispered, placing her hands on his chest and looking deep into the eyes of what Dr. Gero called his 'ultimate creation.' Although he was made by Dr. Gero, Cell was nothing like she expected; he did what he wanted and could even learn to care for someone in the midst of being born with the most evil of intentions. He was an android unlike any that came before him, and she knew, regardless of their lives both being intertwined because of Dr. Gero, that she truly cherished him and wanted to be with him. She had accepted the fact that nothing would make him give up his tournament, but there was a small sliver of hope that if he won, he would at least not destroy this planet, even if solely out of respect for what they'd shared. Her heart ached when she thought of him moving on to another world and leaving her behind, but she couldn't rest until she learned who she was before she'd become Android 16B. She probably had a family, with parents that cared about her and probably never lost hope that she'd return.

Cell smirked at her words, seeing as her eyes looked distant and hoped his response would bring her back to reality. "Indeed I do." He quipped smugly, seeing as her gaze regained its focus and she laughed, secretly relishing in the sound. He stood up and looked down at her, watching as she picked up the few pieces of glass and then stood up as well.

Sayah walked over to the trashcan, dropping the pieces inside before looking over at Cell. She saw him eyeing her curiously, and she got a fleeting memory of their previous night, her cheeks turning a light shade of red. She smiled mischievously before opening one of the two sliding glass doors to the large, roomy shower, leaning over to turn the knob on the water to her usual steamy-warm setting. She spun back around and sauntered over to him, a sexy grin on her lips. "You won't mind if I shower, will you?" She asked seductively, tracing her fingers up his torso and stopping at his chest, her gaze slowly rising to meet his.

Cell had been watching her, at first curious about what she was doing and then quickly realizing her intentions. He'd uncrossed his arms when she approached, a smirk tugging at his lips at what she did next, and feeling as the need to hold her close against his body began to take over. He picked her up effortlessly, pinning her against the nearby wall and feeling her legs wrap around his waist as he kissed her roughly. He felt her heart racing and broke the kiss briefly, looking at her and noticing the admiration and burning desire in her eyes. "Not if I can join you," He replied huskily, his voice deeper than it normally was, before he placed his hands on her thighs and continued kissing her, stepping into the spacious shower, but not before he'd ripped off her clothes.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, what did you guys think? Now you know who and more about why. I'll try to get a the next one or two chapters done before the weekend, since I'm going out of town, but I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your comments!**

 **Many hugs,**

 **~SinTotchi**


	10. It's My Name

A Need Unknown

Chapter 10

 **Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm SO SORRY it's taken me forever to update this story – long story short, life happened. I went out of town, and then I was hand-making everyone's Christmas presents, and then all of a sudden I got pneumonia and had to be in the hospital for like a week. UGH. Needless to say, I've got some time back now and I can finally write again, so that's what I'm gonna do! I've gotten inspiration recently for this story through music, so don't be surprised if you happen to see some song lyrics pop up in the next few chapters, lol. If you're the type of person that doesn't like that stuff, then just skip em, you'll be able to notice them. Although the ones I've been inspired by seem to relate to this story pretty well, hehe.**

 **Anyway, just a note for future chapters – I probably won't write out the full battle scenes between Cell and the Z Fighters/etc, but I'll skip through the parts that aren't really relevant and write about the parts that are. I'm sure at least most, if not all, of you have seen the Cell Games, so you already know what happens. I'll just be adding my take whenever it's important! This chapter is a little bit of filler during the last few days leading up to the tournament, but bear with me - there's still some more CellxSayah romance to come before the tournament actually begins (probably in the next chapter), so I hope you'll enjoy that!**

 **Thank you all for sticking with this story during my random disappearance. My plan -crosses fingers- is to keep writing this story for another few chapters until it's complete, and I'm gonna try and do that over the next few weeks, so I'm gonna focus on getting updates more frequently, like I used to do. I always love to hear your thoughts and comments, so please, R &R! Much love!**

* * *

Sayah's eyelids fluttered open slowly and she sat up, groggily. She looked to her balcony and saw Cell standing there, smiling a bit and realizing that that was probably his favorite spot in the house. She reached to pull the sheets off her but froze when she realized she wasn't wearing anything but her birthday suit, her eyes widening slightly and her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Her mind raced to the memories of the day before, when her and Cell had shared some _very_ passionate moments in the shower, and she closed her eyes with a smile, her blush deepening. She shook her head to snap out of it and grabbed the blanket on the bed, wrapping it around herself as she grabbed some clothes to wear and quickly changed into them. When she was done, she saw that Cell hadn't moved, his proud form statuesque as his eyes looked over the horizon. She placed the blanket back on her bed and let out a soft sigh, remembering the fleeting memory she'd seemed to unlock yesterday. She hesitated briefly before walking over to Cell, slowly and tentatively.

"You know, you're going to be very, very powerful and equally as intelligent when you're all grown up, and that means you have to take care of me. So, you better come find me once you are…I'll be waiting for you." She said quietly, seeing as he snapped his head to one side upon hearing her voice, and gradually turning around, his eyes wide.

Cell couldn't believe what he was hearing, knowing that he'd heard those exact words before, and they'd been engrained into his head since, never knowing exactly who had spoken them. He knew it hadn't had been 18, because the voice wasn't right, but when Sayah uttered those words perfectly as he'd heard them, even in the same tone, his body trembled slightly at the realization that he now knew who.

"So…that _was_ you." He uttered, settling his cerise hues to stare right back at her emerald ones. "You're 16B."

Sayah smiled up at him, a hint of sadness in her face as her eyes tried to well up with tears, but she easily blinked them away. "That's me," She said softly, her voice breaking slightly as she sighed, looking aside. "When I was unconscious yesterday, I saw a memory. I was in Dr. Gero's lab, and I was wearing this white dress with a red ribbon tied around my waist. It had two big, white R's on it…" She trailed off, as if trying to remember their significance.

"The Red Ribbon Army," Cell stated, matter-of-fact, "Dr. Gero served it as the chief scientist until Goku took out the entire army by himself when he was a child."

Sayah's mouth opened slightly in amazement and she turned back to look at him. "That Goku guy is something else," She paused, seeing the look of disgust on Cell's face and sighing a bit, "He's that blonde man who showed up the day after you took me to your ring, isn't he? The one who stopped you from killing—" She hesitated, looking away from Cell as she remembered that day, and how close she'd felt she'd been at death's door.

Cell watched her face, as if searching for answers. He paused before thinking over his next words carefully and telling her the truth. "I wasn't going to kill you. I couldn't."

Sayah's head snapped back to look at Cell, astounded. "Why not?"

Cell crossed his arms in front of his chest and refused to meet her gaze, keeping his face stoic. "I have my reasons."

Sayah smiled, knowing deep down what he wanted to say, but knowing that his own pride kept him from doing so. He'd never cared about anyone else before, and he was so used to being alone, he couldn't bring himself to tell her how he really felt. She placed a hand on Cell's folded arms and watched as he turned back to look at her, feeling his intense gaze on her entire petite form.

"Nevertheless, I kept calling Dr. Gero father, and he told me that I was Android 16's sister. I was the only one awake at the time, so I asked him why 17 and 18 weren't awake, and he told me they were insubordinate children…" Her eyebrows furrowed, as if confused, before she continued on, "I asked him if they were my siblings, but he told me no, that only 16 was my brother…" She paused, her voice trailing off again as if lost.

Cell listened closely, curious, realizing that Dr. Gero must've wanted a daughter, and that is why Sayah must've been kidnapped. He chuckled, never once thinking that the doctor could actually have feelings and show affection, but he stopped when he recognized he'd thought that about himself as well. "Dr. Gero made Android 16 as a tribute to his fallen son, who died many years ago, and was a high-ranking officer in the Red Ribbon Army," He explained, watching as she nodded her understanding.

"I think I can get that. But what I don't get is what he needed me for," She responded, putting her hands on her hips. "Did he have a daughter and I just look like her or something?" She asked, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Cell unfolded his arms and looked at her closely, shaking his head. "Not to my knowledge. Although I may not be far off in saying that he could've wanted one…as far as I knew Dr. Gero was a cold, calculating man, who only used people for his own experiments," He paused, glancing away, "But he must've been able to feel affection if he modeled 16 after his own son. And if he wanted a daughter bad enough to…" He hesitated, looking back at her and not wanting to finish his sentence.

"…to kidnap me." Sayah finished, looking away and putting her hands on her arms, "I don't get it, though. How did he even find me? Out of all the people in this world I'm the one who wins Dr. Gero's make-your-own-daughter lottery," She added bitterly, sighing again before turning her gaze back to meet his. She saw the look of concern in his eyes, and she knew that he was apprehensive about the fact that he was one of Dr. Gero's creations as well, unsure of what she thought of him now that she knew the truth. She moved her arms back to rest at her sides and took a step towards him, never breaking their stare, "I guess if I have one thing to thank him for…" She reached up on her tiptoes and placed her hands on his chest, a smile tugging at her lips, "…it's that I met you."

Cell felt a wave of relief wash over him as she uttered that sentence, now knowing that she didn't care whether the same person who had taken her life away from her had created his. He leaned down over her and picked her up, feeling as she grazed her lips against his own and pressing her close against him, not wanting to let go. He felt her hands moving up his chest to his neck, and he deepened the kiss, tasting that sweet strawberry he now so badly craved. He felt her pull away slowly, gently, and he opened his eyes to stare deep into her emerald ones, trying hard not to kiss her fiercely again.

Sayah looked at him curiously before speaking up. "We only have today and tomorrow until your tournament," She uttered quietly, seeing as the look in his eyes changed from longing to pensive, "Do you need to go back to your arena?"

Cell took a deep breath, setting her down slowly and crossing his arms when she took a step back. "Possibly," He replied, wondering why she'd brought this up all of a sudden, especially during such an intimate moment.

"Can I come with you?" She asked, seeing the look of shock on his face, and she knew he was wondering why she wanted to go back there when she was here, safe and comfortable in her own home.

"You don't have to come," Cell replied, moving his arms back at his sides as he stared at her, incredulous.

Sayah smiled up at him, putting her hands on her hips again. "I know, but I want to. Maybe I want to be with you…keep you company," She winked, "Plus, don't you think it'll look suspicious to Mr. Goku if I'm not there when he shows up?"

Cell paused for a moment, remembering the deal he'd made with Goku and frowned. "I could care less what he thinks," he spat, crossing his arms and looking away, off into the distance.

Sayah tried to hold back a laugh at his antics, noticing how much he reminded her of a spoiled child. She reached up and placed her hand gently on the side of his face, watching as he turned back to look at her. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Cell watched as she turned and walked over to a closet, pulling out a large duffel bag. He leaned back against the balcony's ledge, his arms still crossed as he looked off to the side, staring at the unending greenery before him. Deep down he knew he had to go through with the tournament and kill Goku, even if as a last act of thanks to Dr. Gero for creating him. He would fulfill his true purpose, and he would convince Sayah to come with him, eradicating planet Earth once they'd left. He knew she'd be upset with him for that, and probably for a long time, but he'd come to terms with the fact that he'd rather have her and have her angry at him, than not have her at all. She'd helped him discover feelings that he'd never even thought possible for someone like himself, who was made solely to kill and take pleasure in it. He still did, that much he knew, but in his perfected form he'd not needed to do so in order to survive, unlike in his imperfect stage. The strength he'd gained from absorbing androids 17 and 18 was insurmountable, and he had no qualms that he'd win. In fact, he knew it.

He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he barely registered Sayah returning, closing the balcony doors before dropping the duffel bag next to her feet. He looked back at her and saw the smile on her face, causing him to smile slightly in return and pick her up bridal style, feeling her arms wrap around his neck. He took off into the sky, feeling as she dug her face in his neck and he suddenly remembered the time he flew her to Ginger Town for supplies, recalling the way his fingers tingled as they'd touched her bare skin. _"I guess my body knew before my mind did,"_ He thought, reaching the arena not too long after and landing gracefully, feeling Sayah shift gently before he set her down.

Sayah placed her feet on the arena's marble surface, turning and looking all around her. She saw the bag out of the corner of her eye and walked over to it, picking it up without much effort despite everything inside. She set it down in the corner of the ring she used to use, and paused before looking up at the sky, shielding the sun from her eyes with her hand. "I forgot how hot it was out here," She mumbled, dropping her hand before walking back over to Cell, who'd been watching her.

"Are you sure you don't wish me to take you back home?" He asked, eyeing her movements closely and memorizing the way her body moved when she walked.

"Yes, I'm sure," She replied, reaching him and grinning, before she paused, "Your hearing is amazing."

Cell smirked, crossing his arms in his usual stance and giving her a self-satisfied look. "I have a lot of amazing abilities," He replied smugly, watching her roll her eyes and laugh, knowing he wanted to hear her do so more often. It caused a feeling in his chest he couldn't describe, and that he was unfamiliar with, but if he had to put a word to it, it would be…joy? Perhaps happiness? He was pulled out of his thoughts by Sayah, who heaved a sigh before speaking. "I wish I had abilities like yours…all I can do is ballet."

Cell grinned haughtily and studied her face before speaking up. "Yes, I've noticed."

Sayah glared playfully at him and smiled briefly before realization became apparent on her face. "Wait, what do you mean you've noticed? How would you know?"

Cell hesitated, remembering when he'd seen her doing the ballet moves while at the spring a few days back, and tried to think of something to explain himself before sighing and telling her the truth. "I watched you perform them when you first went to the hot spring you use to bathe."

Sayah's eyes widened and she walked up to him, poking him in the chest. "You watched me? Did you see me bathe, too? I would've never pinned you as a pervert."

Cell's eyes grew large as coins and he shook his head furiously, trying to defend himself. "I did no such thing. I just happened to turn around when I heard you talking to those animals," He responded, crossing his arms again and staring back at her, trying to show her that he wasn't lying.

Sayah stared into his eyes for a lingering moment before smiling, moving her hand back to rest at her side. "Fine. I believe you. Although I must've been crazy thinking those animals understood me." She quipped, pursing her lips to one side and furrowing her eyebrows, as if thinking.

Cell studied her face, suddenly remembering something. "Perhaps not…Android 16 is also very keen on nature. It makes sense, since you both were not designed for battle."

Sayah nodded, exhaling quietly. "Yes…you're probably right," she whispered, turning her gaze away before realizing something. "Cell…is Android 16 still alive?" She asked, looking back up at him and seeing him shift uncomfortably.

Cell froze under her gaze, remembering the last time he'd seen 16 and the bad shape he'd left him in. He cleared his throat quickly and looked away for a moment, wondering if he should tell her what he'd done. "He might be. He was in quite a rough shape the last time I saw him, however."

Sayah eyed him closely, something telling her that Cell had been the one to put 16 in said 'rough shape.' She put her hands on her hips, looking up into the sky as she remembered something that had happened before Cell had found her. "You know...before you found me, I can't recall exactly when, but I'd been at the office when I suddenly got these awful pains in my chest, like someone was punching me," She paused, looking back into Cell's eyes before continuing, "They lasted a while, and they were so painful I had to leave work. I could barely drive home, I almost crashed a time or two," She added, tilting her head to the side. "It was that feeling you get when someone you care about is hurt, and at first I thought it was Mira but when I called her, she said she was fine and working her shift at the hospital," she sighed, placing her hands on her arms and looking down at the marble floor, "But now I think…I think it may have been because of 16. Dr. Gero must've connected us more innately than I thought."

Cell stared at her, trying to ignore the guilt he felt for having indirectly caused her pain, yet also knowing the exact feeling she had described because he'd felt it as well, when she'd hurt herself the previous day. 16 had been a nuisance at the time, and he'd kept getting in the way of him achieving his perfect form, so he'd had to be taken care of. He didn't feel remorse for what he'd done to 16, but now he knew that he'd have to be more careful, and hoped that 16 wouldn't try anything foolish enough to get himself killed during the upcoming tournament – especially since Cell had a feeling he'd be there.

Sayah's gaze lingered a moment before looking up at Cell again, smiling. "You know, in my memory, Dr. Gero got really upset with me when I looked at his design for your perfect form and said that you looked handsome…" She placed her hands behind her back, interlacing her fingers and looking at him innocently, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

"Is that so?" Cell replied arrogantly, a smug look on his face. He really did enjoy hearing compliments about himself.

"Oh yes. In fact, he practically yelled at me and snatched your blueprint design out of my hands," she smiled impishly, turning her head to the side but still looking at him out of the corner of her eye, "He said something like, 'He is to be naught but your protector, and keep you safe. Nothing more!'" she continued, throwing her hands up and using her best Dr. Gero voice impression.

Cell tried keeping a straight face at her antics and choked back a laugh before shaking his head, looking at her – that sounded like Gero, alright. "I _will_ protect you…but not for him." He said the last part darkly, almost as if harboring resentment for Dr. Gero. His mind began trailing off to other thoughts when Sayah's voice interrupted them and he looked at her, his eyes focused intently.

"The last thing he said about it was that you were going to be his ultimate creation…but that part of your purpose was to protect one of his most important ones," She added, looking up at the sky as if searching for something. "I wonder if he was talking about 16, or—" She paused and looked back at Cell, her eyes widening suddenly as she felt a searing pain in her chest. She placed a hand feebly over her heart and took a shaky step back before she fell to her knees, placing her hands in front of her for support and breathing heavily, shutting her eyes tight. _"What the hell is happening to me?! This feels almost the same as last time…"_ She thought, referring to the almost-crashing incident she'd told Cell about only moments earlier.

Cell had been listening attentively to her, curious about what else Dr. Gero had said about him, until he saw the look on Sayah's face. He immediately expanded his ki for quick enemy detection and glanced around them to see if someone had managed to sneak up or hurt her from a distance, but dismissing the thought quickly, knowing that there wouldn't possibly be any way anyone could get close enough without him easily taking notice. He _was_ perfect, after all. He swiftly rushed over to her, catching her just before she fell face-first to the ground. He turned her on her back so she was facing him and looked down at her, cradling her neck in his arm without even realizing concern was written all over his face. "Sayah, what is it?"

Sayah reached up and feebly placed a hand on his cheek, smiling up at him. "I'm okay. I just think…something might be happening…with sixt—" She was unable to finish, her last words quieting to a whisper before her hand dropped to her side and her body relaxed completely as she fell unconscious.

"Sayah. Sayah!" Cell shook her, trying to contain his anger at not being able to control or do anything about what was happening. He searched his mind's vast knowledge and remembered a technique that could be used to see if a human was still alive (which, of course, Dr. Gero had instilled in him to ensure a person was truly dead), and reached over and gently placed two fingers under the right side of her chin, feeling for her pulse. Once he could feel the artery pumping and beating against them, he released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, unsure of what had just happened and why. He picked her up and carried her over to her items, using his ki to set out some blankets and laying her down gently on top of them, anger filling his body from not knowing what to do or what exactly was happening. He stood up and crossed his arms, staring down at her with a somber look on his face, keeping a careful eye on her breathing. _"I think she was in the midst of saying 16…which must mean he is still online somewhere. Perhaps he's being repaired…but I don't see how that would cause this. Unless…perhaps someone is tampering with his internal circuitry or components and altering them somehow."_ He thought, a frown becoming apparent on his perfectly etched face, _"Damn. If I could only find 16 and check for myself…but I can't leave Sayah here, and even if I was foolish enough to do so, there's no guarantee I'd find 16 since he has no ki either. My only option is to watch and wait,"_ He sighed deeply, closing his eyes briefly before looking up at the sky, narrowing his eyes. _"Patience has never been my strong suit…"_

* * *

" _There. That should do it!" The young woman beamed, finally taking a break from the furious typing she'd been doing the past few minutes._

" _Sayah, are you really still working? It's the last day of the school year. Graduation's_ _ **tomorrow**_ _!" A voice called to her, one that sounded so familiar yet whose owner she couldn't quite make out._

 _Sayah laughed, waving her hand dismissively at the person scolding her. "I know, I know…but I had to give it a try. I mean, what if he says yes? Can you imagine? I'd be his apprentice! Or intern…or whatever he'd appoint me, I could care less, as long as I get to study under him. I mean, his work is what I wrote my dissertation over. I'd happily do it all for free!" She exclaimed, pushing herself gently away from the desk as she spoke. She raised her arms to the ceiling and, at her last sentence, spun around in the chair she was sitting in, giggling like a child._

" _Sayah, you really are crazy. You've gotten job offers from all the top tech and medical companies AND universities across the nation, yet you're willing to work for_ _ **free**_ _?! You're about to be a Doctor yourself, why don't you just start up on your own?"_

 _She stopped spinning, looking at the person straight in their eyes as she leaned forward slightly, gripping the edge of the chair sternly with her hands, still smiling. "Becaaaause I could learn so much from him…don't you get it? If I could learn just a fraction of what he knows…there is so much good I could do in the world. I could really help people – using technology to enhance and enrich, maybe even save lives! I don't want to work for some tech company making a microchip to put into people's brains to use as a cell phone. I want to make a_ _ **difference**_ _."_

 _The person had their arms folded, and Sayah could tell they were shaking their head gently at her. "You've always been such a dreamer…but still, good luck – if anyone can do this, it's definitely you. Although…no one's heard from, much less seen, Maki Gero since he supposedly holed himself up in his lab somewhere on the continent years ago. How did you get in contact with him, anyway?"_

 _Sayah's eyes shone brightly as she looked at her best friend, a big smile on her face. "That's just it, Avelee! He got in touch with_ _ **me**_ _. He must've found out I was researching him for my thesis or something and reached out. The man_ _ **is**_ _a genius, you know."_

 _Her friend gave her a small smile, letting her arms drop back to her sides as she headed for the door. "Well alright. Just don't hold out hope, and don't be sad if he says no. Oh, and don't forget your speech for graduation. I'll see you tomorrow!"_

 _Sayah waved goodbye to her friend, who promptly exited the room and closed the door behind her. She sighed and slumped back in her chair, glancing around and seeing she was the only one left in the large graduate-student office. She was about to start packing her things when she heard a ding from her computer, signaling that she had a new email. She set her bookbag back down on the ground and clicked the New Message popup, which opened to reveal only a picture of a set of steel double-doors seemingly hidden away in some mountains, and nothing else. She frowned, staring at the picture for a moment before sighing, pursing her lips to the side. "He must be testing me to see if I can even find his lab…." She uttered quietly, printing the picture and grabbing the piece of paper from the tray when it was done. She pressed the Windows key + L to lock her computer, placing her bookbag over her shoulder and looking down at the picture with a smile. "...little does he know, I've got the strongest determination of anyone here. I didn't earn summa cum laude sitting on my butt in front of this computer!" She let out a proud laugh, folding the paper in half twice before sticking it into the back pocket of her jeans, "Game on, Dr. Gero. I'll promise to find you and your lab before the day's over!" She quipped, happiness radiating from her as she looked back at her desk one last time to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything, immediately seeing a picture of her and a man and a woman, all of their smiles beaming as she wore a burgundy and ivory cap and gown – from her undergrad graduation, of course. Although she couldn't make out their faces in the memory, she uttered something about needing to call her parents to tell them she wouldn't be able to stop by for dinner that night, because of her sudden plans. As she pulled out her cell phone to do so, she then turned and exited the room, making sure to close the door and lock it behind her._

 _Surely enough, it hadn't taken her too awfully long before she was able to find the metal doors nestled deep in the mountains, noting that she still had a couple hours of sunlight left. She grinned, trying hard to quell her delight as she pulled the picture out of her pocket and referred to it, just to be doubly sure. "Yep, this looks like it. I can't believe I'm going to be meeting_ _ **the**_ _Dr. Gero face-to-face. I don't even know what I should say…what do you say to a genius?" She uttered nervously, setting the picture inside her car before pushing the capsule button on the side, pulling out her capsule holder to return it, immediately after said capsule had landed in the palm of her hand._

 _She put the case away in her back pocket, trying hard to stifle her excitement. "I can't seem too excited, or he'll think I'm just some idiot…" She took in a deep breath before literally trying to shake the nerves out, her long brown hair swaying wildly about as she shook her head. "Alright Sayah, get ahold of yourself, and get prepared to meet the man you've admired for so many years…here goes nothing." She sighed slowly before placing a gentle smile on her face, walking toward the metal doors, completely unaware that Dr. Gero had been watching her via his cameras and spy-flies for long before she'd even arrived there._

 _She walked up to the doors, and as she was getting ready to knock they suddenly whooshed open, stunning her. She froze for a minute before continuing in, her eyes widening at the sight before her. The lab was so much larger than she'd ever imagined, and when she saw large, capsule-like pods in the distance, she immediately knew she was in the right place. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her head, and her breath caught in her throat when the doors closed behind her. She fidgeted with her fingers as she slowed to a stop near one of the capsules which had a large '16' painted on it. "Hello? Dr. Gero, are you here?" She called out, hearing very faint footsteps before her eyes settled on the figure approaching her, her eyes widening when she saw him. She couldn't believe that she was face to with the famous Dr. Gero._

" _Yes, I've been expecting you," He spoke quietly, his arms interlocked behind him as he studied her. "I wasn't sure you'd succeed in finding me."_

 _Sayah smiled at this, letting out a nervous laugh, "I was pretty determined, and when I set my mind on something, I make it happen," She responded, feeling miniscule under his intense gaze._

 _Dr. Gero watched her for a few more seconds before a large smirk spread upon his thin lips. He now knew she was perfect for the purpose he had in mind for her. "So it seems…you've been doing some research on me, haven't you?"_

 _Sayah tried to ignore the creepy, almost evil vibe she was getting, and tried to focus on the fact that she could learn a lot from him if he allowed her to. "Yes, sir. I did my dissertation and thesis on your work…well, the little I was able to find. I would love to learn more from you, if you'd let me. You don't have to pay me or anything like that, I just want to study under you and learn what I can so I can use this technology to help people. I'll be a good student, I promise – you can ask me anything!"_

 _Dr. Gero tried to hide his disgust at her statement of helping people. Of course she'd be one of those altruistic types…but no matter, he would try to suppress that. He knew he couldn't add or remove anything from her personality (as he'd learned the hard way when he had to deactivate 17 and 18 for not listening to him), so she'd always be who she is now, but even if he couldn't suppress it, he'd use that trait to his advantage and have her help him instead of others. He lifted his head a bit and looked over at her, clearing his throat. "Sayah Mireya Sato, 22 years old, no siblings nor children. Earned a full academic scholarship as well as a professional ballet scholarship, but turned it down for an undergraduate, Masters and now a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Graduated early from all schools attended, summa cum laude for all degrees obtained," He paused, staring at her as if trying to bore a hole through her soul while waiting for her response._

 _Sayah's mouth dropped open in shock, her eyes wide. She'd thought she'd been the only one doing research, but obviously he'd conducted some of his own. She composed herself enough to gulp, and felt a cold shiver run down her spine from the look her gave her. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a good idea…_

" _ **I should definitely rethink this…"**_ _She thought, nodding inwardly and trying to figure out how to get out of the mess she'd just climbed into. Maybe she'd be able to get over Dr. Gero's creepiness someday, but right now, he was seriously and horribly freaking her out. She needed to go and get some air, reconsider, and decide whether she still wanted to study under him or not. She smiled awkwardly as she thought of the best way to tell him she wanted some more time to really think about being his pupil._

" _Well, Dr. Gero, it was a pleasure meeting you…" She trailed off, clearing her throat, "But my parents are expecting me for dinner, so I should probably get going," she lied, knowing that she'd called her mother on the way there and told her not to wait for her, "but I'll definitely be waiting for your response regarding my tutelage once you decide." She faintly registered that she'd been backing away from him as he'd been approaching her, trying to look for the exit doors to run out and get the hell out of there._

" _I look forward to hearing from you!" She barely managed to croak out before taking off into a full-fledged run towards what she thought were her doors to freedom, but skidded to a halt when Dr. Gero suddenly appeared before her, almost as if he'd just materialized out of nowhere. Her eyes widened, and she began to back away again, fear striking her deep in her heart all the way to the pit of her stomach, making her nauseous. Backed into a corner, she fought back tears as realization hit her that this was it, and it was her own damn fault that she'd gotten into this mess that she probably wouldn't get out of._

" _Please, you can't do this."_

 _She knew there was no way out._


	11. One Last Night

Chapter 11

 **A/N: Hi all! This chapter is a little long, partly because of the song lyrics I kind of jammed in there every so often, LOL. But they make sense with what's happening, I swear! If anyone wants to know what songs they belong to, just ask me in a PM or in a review and I'll post it in my note for next chapter! For those of you that don't like that, just skip 'em. They're not central to the story, but they helped inspire me to continue writing this, hehe. Aaaanywayyyy...I plan to start writing the next chapter tonight, and hopefully have it up in a few days. Bear with me! You guys are the best for being so loyal!**

 **Also:-**

 _ **A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter is rated M for what happens later on, throughout most of it. If you don't like/don't want to read the "lemon-y" section, then don't read past the paragraph after the third set of song lyrics. Thanks to all, and please enjoy and review!**_

* * *

Sayah suddenly shot upright, her eyes wide and trying to draw a breath like she'd been deprived of oxygen. She was breathing rapidly, her hands clutching her head like it was about to explode. "Oh god, oh god…" She kept repeating those two words like they would help make sense of what she'd just uncovered. She gulped, trying to dissuade the nausea that kept biting at her throat, and closed her eyes so tight she was seeing spots.

"Sayah?"

Upon hearing his voice, her body immediately responded before her mind could even process what it'd done. She felt herself relax and slowly opened her eyes, feebly moving her hands off her head and onto the marble floor, chilling them. She gradually began to look up, as if moving too fast would cause her to have nausea again, but when her emerald eyes met his fuchsia ones, her breathing slowed to a normal, gentle pace, and she felt a wave of relief pass over her, as if he gave her comfort and security. She knew he wanted to say and ask so many things, but he didn't, choosing to watch and wait instead, which she made a mental note to thank him for later.

Something about her demeanor almost worried him (if he even believed he was capable of worrying…), and he knew that she had most likely recalled another memory in her slumber. He kept his face stoic and, as usual, showed no emotions, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her get up and move a strand of hair out of her face. He noted how beautiful he still considered her, and realized that no matter how she looked or what she wore, the attraction was there, and probably wouldn't ever go away. He tried not to think about her rejection of his proposal, knowing that he'd convince her one way or another to go with him wherever he went, mainly off this wretched planet called Earth.

"I know my name."

Cell paused a moment before realizing what she meant. "Your name before you met Dr. Gero," He responded, as more of a statement rather than a question. He watched her nod and take a few steps in his direction, placing her hands on her arms, and he stayed still, simply watching her figure approaching him.

"Yes…" She trailed off, stopping a few feet from him and biting her bottom lip nervously. She was lost in her thoughts for a moment before looking back at him and laughing awkwardly. "What am I doing? You're supposed to be preparing for your tournament tomorrow. I shouldn't be bugging you with this!" She laughed dejectedly, waving a hand at him and turning around to walk away. She'd taken a couple of steps when she felt someone grab her wrist, stopping her. She looked down at their hand and traced up the arm back to its owner, who of course, was Cell. She paused, meeting his eyes and trying not to blush under his intense gaze.

"Tell me."

Sayah froze, feeling as he let go of her and she swiveled back to face him, placing her hands on her arms again. "Tell you what? My name?" She asked, knowing full well that that was what he wanted to know, but not knowing if she even believed that what she'd dreamt was real.

"Yes…your real name, Sayah Sparks." Cell replied, watching her curiously. She seemed to be acting strange; he always imagined she'd be happy and excited to find out her actual name, so he couldn't understand why she was acting this way.

Sayah smiled at him, knowing he was trying to cheer her up, in his own way. She didn't understand what she was feeling – it was almost a mixture of excitement yet, at the same time, fear. More fear than anything else…but why? Could it be because she still couldn't remember who her parents were? Or anything about herself? Or if her parents would even recognize her? She didn't know any of the answers to those questions, she didn't even know what she'd looked like before meeting Dr. Gero. It was almost as if learning her name had given her more questions than answers, and she didn't know if she'd ever get all the solutions she wanted…

She came back from being lost in her thoughts and realized that she'd been standing there just staring at him the whole time. Her eyes widened and she tried to hide her blush, turning around and putting her hands on her cheeks. She cleared her throat and laughed nervously, trying to compose herself before turning back to face him. "Sorry…I guess I got lost in my own thoughts," She paused, smiling at him, "But, if the memory I just had was right, then…my real name is Sayah Sato. Well, Sayah Mireya Sato, to be exact."

Cell crossed his arms again and looked her up and down, nodding once he was done scrutinizing her. "Hmm. It suits you."

Sayah laughed, almost missing the smile that briefly flickered on his lips when she did so, and waved her hand at him, placing the other on her hip. "Why thank you! Although…I think all this 'remembering' has made me feel like I need to wash away some of the worry that it brought with it. So, I think I'm going to take a bath in my usual spot. Get some R&R before your tournament tomorrow." She smiled and winked at him, noticing as he straightened his shoulders when she mentioned his tournament, any hint of a smile disappearing from his face. Her smile softened and she turned around, walking back to her corner of the ring and hearing as he turned around as well, assuming his familiar meditative stance.

She walked over to the duffel bag she'd brought with her, her thoughts ruminating on the fact that Cell's tournament was really taking place the following day. She knew he'd never call it off or change his mind about going forward with it, and she wouldn't even bother trying to convince him otherwise – she knew it was futile. She felt something pulling in her chest, as if she had a knot right in her heart when she thought about what could happen if Cell won. Well, more like _when_ he won – she'd seen his power firsthand when he annihilated the entire Royal Army, and she knew that he could do much, much more and much, much worse. For some reason, the fact that he'd done this didn't dissuade her from caring about him, and she couldn't possibly figure out why. She'd never been attracted to "bad boys" or guys who acted tough – although, she had to be honest – Cell didn't just act tough, he _was_ tough. At least, quite a bit more than any man-made weapon could fare up against. She didn't know who to cheer for – Cell, the mass murderer whom she seemed to care so much about, or the guy named Goku, who she assumed could at least stand up to Cell, who was trying to save the planet.

" _Ugh, what is wrong with me?"_ She thought as she gathered some items into a smaller bag that she would take to wash. She began nibbling on her lip out of habit again, noticing a battery-operated portable radio in her duffel bag and throwing it in the smaller bag she was taking – she always listened to music while she showered, and she was glad she'd remembered to bring that with her so she could do so at the hot spring – that would definitely help her feel better. Underneath the radio was something she had completely forgotten she'd put in there, and her eyes widened a bit when she saw it. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and she glanced at Cell out of the corner of her eye to make sure he wasn't looking at her. Not surprisingly, he had his back turned to her and hadn't moved from his usual contemplative state. An idea began to form in her brain that made her smile mischievously as she shoved the item into her bag, trying not to laugh as she imagined what his reaction would be.

She understood that this was probably going to be their last night together, and as much as it hurt her to think about the future, she knew she needed to concentrate on the present. She'd always been the type to plan ahead, which, for example, was the reason why she'd never run out of something at home - she'd always restock before it ran out – but that kind of mentality had made her not enjoy the present moment as much, which she tended to regret, especially because, before Cell, she hadn't been able to remember anything about her past. She couldn't help but think that if she'd made more of an effort to make memories before she was taken, that maybe they would've been strong enough to stay in her mind, despite what Dr. Gero did to her.

" _Well Sayah, now's not the time to regret what you didn't do,"_ She thought, letting out a quiet sigh as she finished grabbing the items she'd need to take her bath. She stood up and stretched her back a bit, slinging the bag over her shoulder and looking over at Cell, smiling slightly. The sun was almost done setting and the way the last rays of the sun hit his body and armor made him look majestic, almost magical. As she looked at him, her mind struggled to comprehend the feelings that she felt in her chest – joy, desire, exhilaration, pride, longing, elation…love? – no, surely not that, right?... – and so many others she couldn't ever possibly begin or finish describing all of them. Her body seemed to crave and covet him _and_ his touch, but especially the way he would look at her, a mixture of yearning plus desperation, with an urgent need to discover and experience something other than the usual hate and abhorrence he always seemed to feel.

As she stood there getting lost in her thoughts, she couldn't help but acknowledge something unique happening within her that she couldn't quite describe, a feeling that she got from knowing that this amazingly formidable being has the power in his hands to make or destroy anything, literally _anything_ he could possibly want to, and yet with those very same hands he'd stroked her, caressed her, felt the way her skin trembled at his very touch, knowing that he could break her in half with just one wrong move but didn't, instead choosing to explore the emotion that draws him to her. If she wasn't sure before she absolutely was now – Cell, even if he'd never admit it, could learn to love.

A gentle smile tugged at her lips as she turned away, glancing over her shoulder at his regal figure. "Okay, I'm going to bathe, I'll be right back!" He didn't respond but she knew he'd heard her by the way his head had raised slightly when she spoke, and as she walked away and made her trek through the woods she began to formulate a plan that she hoped would give him something to always remember her by – a memory that he would never want to erase.

As she arrived at the spring she pulled out the small radio, remembering the fun time she'd had the first time she'd tried to figure one out. Mira had given it to her for her "birthday" – she'd appointed Sayah's birthday as the fateful day she'd come knocking on her door after escaping from Dr. Gero's lab, since they didn't know what her actual birth date was – and although it looked familiar, Sayah couldn't quite place how to make it work. Mira had shown her how to scan through the different stations, and Sayah had set an entire day aside to listen to all the different radio stations to find out which music she liked best. She seemed to innately be drawn to classical, dance, and rock/alternative music, which made her wonder if that was what she'd also liked before she'd lost her memory. She also tended to learn the song lyrics unusually quick, usually after hearing the song just once or twice, and she particularly enjoyed truly listening to the lyrics to understand their meaning, and sometimes even relating them to how she felt or what she was going through.

She set the radio down on a rock near the spring, turning it on and switching to one of the rock stations she liked to listen to. As the sound came on and filled the air around her, she recognized the song and noticed that it was almost over, not even realizing that she'd begun to quietly hum along with the music as she got everything ready and set out.

 _Somebody help me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself  
Somebody wake me from this nightmare  
I can't escape this hell  
_

She let out a quiet sigh as she listened, shaking her head a bit, _"Ask me a week ago and I would've totally related to that…"_ She thought, letting out a chuckle at the irony as she finished setting up her things and continued listening.

 _So what if you can see the darkest side of me?  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal  
This animal I have become_

She paused as the song finished, looking over at the radio and pursing her lips to the side, thinking of Cell. She wondered what he'd think of her music, and she laughed, wondering if he even knew what it was, or ever even heard it. She removed her clothes and set them at the bottom of the bag, using the natural rocks that formed inside one of the walls of the spring as a makeshift type of steps, and bathed quickly, ignoring the commercials that had come on the radio. When she finished, she looked over at the 'surprise' she'd brought for Cell and got another idea, stepping out of the spring and putting it on, trying hard not to blush – she was pretty sure she'd never worn something like this before.

She walked over to the radio and turned it down a bit, so it would be more background music than anything else, although she could still hear the lyrics due to the quiet and stillness of the forest around her. She used the same steps to get back into the spring, and gently walked over to the rock she liked to sit at, the same one that would allow the water to cover almost her entire body up to her upper chest, to the tops of her breasts. She faced the opposite way she'd come from, knowing that when Cell arrived, he would only be able to see the back of her head until she turned around. She barely registered the fact that another song had already started when she spoke up.

 _I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

"Cell?" She spoke aloud, but not yelling. She knew he had amazing hearing and would be able to pick up her words, even from far away, even though she wasn't too distant from the ring. "Can you come here a minute?" She paused briefly, knowing that he was most likely already on his way there. She took in a deep breath before sinking down and dunking her head into the water, coming up almost immediately after, tilting her head back and running her hands through her hair to ensure it was out of her face. She didn't have to hear him to know he was there; she could feel his intense stare boring a hole into her back. She smiled as she slowly stood, her long hair covering up most of the upper back of what she was wearing, while the water still covered the rest of her from the waist down.

She turned and began to walk towards the side of the spring that had the steps, a sly smile pulling at her lips as she saw the look on his face change from concern, to confused, to _very_ intrigued. She moved up the steps gracefully, watching his eyes widen as she stepped out of the water, finally revealing what the water had been concealing. She was wearing a black with green, flyaway-style lace and silk lingerie piece, with matching lace panties. The top of the racy piece looked like a halter top, with two wide silk straps connecting at the back of her neck in a bow. The straps attached to the upper part of the design, which covered her breasts and was made entirely out of soft, smooth lace with a very intricate, detailed design. From the bottom of her breasts down, the rest of the piece was made out of satin, with the "flyaway" design having a part in the fabric beginning slightly above her bellybutton, leaving some of her stomach exposed. The edges of the lower section were made out of the same satin but were sown in a ruffled pattern all the way around, and the lowest part of the piece ended just barely at her upper thighs. There was a dip in the fabric that rested on the upper parts of her breasts, which began from the outside, where the silk halter straps connected to the lace, and continuing downward and inward, accentuating her cleavage, and at the lowest point of the dip, right in between her breasts, there was a large silk bow. Most of the babydoll was black, except the silk straps and bow, which were green, and this was the same for the lace panties – the lace was black, except for the very top trim which was green silk and dipped downwards-in starting at her hips, and it, too, had a (much smaller) bow in the front in the very middle.

Even though the lingerie had gotten wet, some of the material was already beginning to dry inside the semi-steamy atmosphere in the hot spring's vicinity, allowing the soft wind to gently move the ruffled edges of the babydoll. Sayah watched his face the entire time she moved closer to him, trying hard to read the emotions in his eyes. She didn't know how he would react to something like this, much less if he'd even like it – she'd never worn any before herself that she knew of, so she tried not to act sheepish as she stepped forward, hips swaying sensually as she walked. The sun had already gone down at this point, so the only light left was from the moon, which was almost full that night, so it allowed Cell a clear, full view of what she looked like.

 _I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_

"Surprise."

Cell barely registered the music playing as he watched her travel from one spot to the other, his eyes never moving from her sexy yet elegant form. He was trying to keep his jaw from dropping as he followed her movements with his eyes, unable to keep his mouth from going at least partly agape, not even realizing it'd done so. He could hear and feel his heart pounding in his head, but he ignored it, entranced with her actions and excitedly trying to anticipate what she'd do next. He took a moment to take a deep breath, his eyes taking in the full depth of the situation as well as her exquisite carnal form, committing every little detail to memory. He knew he wouldn't be able to simply watch and hold himself back much longer, but he wanted to make sure he admired her in all her astonishing beauty. As soon as he laid eyes on it he immediately recognized what she wore as the item he'd picked up out of one of those pink bags a few days back, and although his mind had tried to imagine what she'd look like wearing it, there's no way he could've ever expected, much less envisioned, her to look _that_ marvelously stunning, and he silently thanked himself for not burning the outfit when he'd had the chance. _"Perhaps we should visit that shop one last time before we leave this worthless planet…"_ He mused haughtily, knowing that he wouldn't mind seeing Sayah in more outfits like this – oh no, he wouldn't mind that one bit.

 _I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear_

He'd never imagined he would be attracted to _anyone_ , much less a _human_ , but here he was, practically salivating at the – quite literally – breathtaking sight before him. From top to bottom she was sheer, absolute perfection to him, _for_ him, and he had to curl his hands up into fists to keep still as he watched her, his mind going a million miles a minute.

As she drew nearer still, he observed the light of the moon reflecting on her caramel-colored skin, the water droplets making their way down her body in tender, caressing waves. She stopped a few feet away from him and he froze, breath catching in his throat as he kept running his eyes down her body again and again, unable to get enough of the magnificently luscious vision before him. Her chocolate colored hair clung to her skin for dear life as some of the remaining water scurried down her locks, and he held back a growl when he noticed the way the negligée outlined and hugged her body's curves just right. His eyes stalked a few beads of water running from her neck down toward her breasts, leaving a sheer path as they moved just enough to trail down her cleavage and, oh, how he wished to follow that trail with his fingers, or even better, his tongue…

 _I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you_

His mind drifted off into total bliss for a moment before he quickly snapped to, resuming his breathing while his eyes continued down the rest of her body. More water droplets teased his pursuing eyes on her skin as they made their way down her exposed stomach, from the tip of the triangle-like open section of her middle that the chemise left visible – the only part of her abdomen that it didn't cover – towards her panties, and as his eyes followed the length of her legs he knew neither he nor his body could tolerate keeping still anymore. She was going to be his…yet again.

In a fraction of a second he stood before her, not even realizing he'd let out a growl as he scooped her up into his arms, pressing her tight to his body. He placed an arm behind the small of her back to support her and reached his other hand into her hair, pulling her into a deep kiss. He heard her moan gently into his mouth in response, and he tried to keep some restraint as their tongues explored each other, each of them pulling away only because they needed to catch their breath. He looked down and noticed the left side of her neck was exposed and still had some drops of water clinging to her skin, and out of pure impulse he leaned forward and placed his lips on the very same spot he'd just glanced at. He decided to let his body influence his actions instead of his mind like he always did, silently conceding that it felt damn good to let go and allow what he'd admitted to himself he felt for her designate his movements. He parted his lips just enough to touch the tip of his tongue to her enticing, tender flesh and then used it to start a trail upwards, loving the way the water tasted on her bare skin. He knew she liked it too when he felt her hands, which had been relaxed, suddenly begin to grip his shoulders, while simultaneously tilting her head to the right, exposing more of her neck to him. There seemed to be something intoxicating about the way she smelled, and he couldn't seem to get enough as he nibbled on that same spot on her neck, causing her to emit a soft whimper.

 _Whoa I'll never give in  
Whoa I'll never give up  
Whoa I'll never give in  
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved_

"Oh, Cell…"

The way she sighed his name drove him wild, and he still struggled to stay in control as he easily whisked her up and felt her legs wrap around his waist, committing to memory the blissful feeling of her bare skin against his armor. Fuchsia met emerald when they locked eyes, and he could almost hear her heart pounding as he noticed the burning desire that was evident on her face. His eyes briefly moved to her lips, plump and cherry-red, and he remembered the way they always tasted of strawberry, suddenly yearning for more. He swiftly caught them in a zealous kiss, and as they parted so their mouths could explore each other again he suddenly noticed the unfamiliar yet exhilirating feeling of Sayah gently nibbling on his bottom lip.

He didn't know why but he'd begun to walk towards the hot spring, enjoying the feel of the warm water once he went in and remembering the recent time when he and Sayah had shared some zealous moments in the shower in her home – he had to admit that this was much more soothing and, if it was even possible, made her look even more divine than he already considered her. He kept walking over to the waterfall and stopped when Sayah's back was mere inches from it, opening his eyes when he felt her reluctantly pull away.

Sayah felt her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. She smiled when she realized that they were actually in the hot spring now, having been too immersed in their ardent kiss to even recognize that Cell had been moving the entire time. She felt the gentle warmth of the water tickling her back and she slowly leaned her head back, closing her eyes and feeling as the liquid flowed from the top of her forehead to the ends of her hair, some of it scurrying down her neck to the rest of her body.

Cell tried to take in the magnificent sight before him, his eyes intently following the beads of water on her skin, and admitting to himself at that very moment that he couldn't wait any longer. He'd already acknowledged that he wanted to explore her flawless figure much, much more than he'd done any time before – his very own body _and_ mind urged him to discover, study, savor every inch of her, to memorize and lose himself in learning by heart her intoxicating scent, the way she looked, how she tasted…

 _Whoa I'll never give in  
Whoa I'll never give up  
Whoa I'll never give in  
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved_

He stepped forward when she straightened back up and pressed her back against the earth that hid behind the waterfall, ignoring the water that now cascaded down his back. He used one hand to easily remove the negligee, leaving the lace panties on, at least for the time being. He hoisted her further up so she was just slightly higher up than him, and reached out with his hand to cup her breast, hearing her quietly gasp. He began to gently rub his thumb over her nipple, watching as she arched her back slightly and leaned her head back, eyes closed and exposing her neck. He leaned forward and kissed her neck, allowing his urges and impulses to fully take control as he moved his mouth from her neck to her other breast, still teasing the other with his hand. He glanced up long enough to witness the look of pure, utter pleasure evident on her face, seeing as she dug her fingers fervorously into the earth behind her, trying to clutch something, anything that she could hold on to. He could hear her delectable whimpers crescendoing as he closed his eyes, running his tongue in circles around her nipple before flicking it playfully, suddenly thinking back to the first time they'd been intimate and remembering the way her body had responded to his fingers touching her mound. He didn't stop to think as the urges controlled his next movements, pulling away from her breast and suddenly turning her around so that her back was against his chest, using his left arm to hold her up and close, noticing her head was almost resting on his left shoulder. He felt her reach up and wrap her arms around his neck, turning her head to look at him and curving her back gently away from him when he reached down with his right hand through the thin fabric and slowly traced his fingers over her mound. He turned his head to look at her and swiftly captured her lips in an ardent kiss, pulling her as close as he could to him while teasing her, smirking at the tiny sounds she was making.

He stopped only to promptly pick her up bridal-style, wrapping his arms around her and walking over to the nearest patch of grass that he could set her down on. He promptly did so and laid her down, her rear on the very edge and part of her legs in the water, hurriedly removing the only remaining garment standing in the way of him and his goal to explore every part of her delicate, impeccable frame.

He tried not to be too rough as his desire and yearning seized more and more of his mind, almost erasing all of his thought process. He still managed to hold on to a fraction of his cognitive means, knowing that he didn't want to accidentally hurt her, regardless of how bad his craving for her may be. He took a deep breath as he beheld all of her, his eyes running invisible hands down her body.

 _I want domination  
I want your submission  
I see you're not resisting  
To this temptation_

Her eyes never stopped observing him curiously, and she remained quiet as he studied her from top to bottom – her hair lay under her head, albeit some of it fanned itself out onto the green grass beneath her, and she'd moved her arms so that her hands were near her stomach, using her fingers to leisurely run paths on it in no particular shape or pattern. As she watched his eyes continue their trek downward she allowed her legs to bend up slightly, keeping the rest of them starting from just under her knees in the water, her feet moving it into gentle waves on either side of him. She knew he was having a hard time keeping total control, and she was intrigued, albeit a little nervous, to see what would happen if he did lose it. Her kind smile widened almost into a grin as she reached over with one of her feet and ran it slowly and leisurely up the side of his leg, reaching up with one hand to place a couple of fingers on her lips, trying to hide her look of mischievous innocence.

Cell felt a tiny wave of pleasure run up his spine when she did so, and he knew right then and there that she was undeniably his. He watched as she did the same motion with her other foot just before slowly parting her legs, revealing all of herself to him. He got an inquisitive spurt and, now that his body was pretty much in command, he allowed it to lead him and his curiosity to see if he could find an answer. He didn't pause to contemplate his next actions as he kneeled inside the hot spring, not even feeling the water surrounding him from his lower chest down, and placed her legs on either side of his head, resting them on his broad shoulders. His nose immediately sensed the saccharine fragrance of her arousal, and he placed his hands gently on her outer thigs, reaching over to one leg and placing a soft, barely-contained kiss on the smooth skin of her inner thigh. He felt her shudder and moan simultaneously, and he smirked as he trailed kisses on her inner thigh closer and closer to her mound, until he finally reached it. Her scent enthralled him, and he squeezed her legs gently with his hands, trying not to use too much force and unintentionally hurt her. He heard heard her let out a quiet, delighted sigh which drove him wild, and his body responded by placing a kiss on her mound, immediately licking his lips when he'd barely moved away and felt her body tremble at the touch. At her body's response he leered wickedly and instantly went back for more, this time using his tongue to tease her and see what her body's response would be.

Sayah could barely contain herself as she felt him tantalizing her most private area with his tongue. Her moans intensified as she felt him tracing and trailing, using more and more pressure before suddenly switching to subtle, delicate strokes like an expert. She was almost completely sure that he hadn't done this before, but the way he was tempting and enticing her made him seem like a complete professional – not that she was complaining, of course.

Cell couldn't seem to get enough of her, the scent and flavor working him and his entire mind, body, and soul into a frenzy. Well, if he _had_ a soul, he knew it'd be going crazy, too. As he listened to her delightful moans augment and multiply, he growled lowly without ever pausing his work, completely tuned in to her body's responses and using those to direct him in tormenting her with pleasure. He could tell that she was lost in her ecstasy by how loud her moans were, obviously not caring if anyone heard, which turned him on even more. He was starting to have an even harder time controlling himself than before, knowing that she was close to her peak and wanting her to fully enjoy the journey getting there.

 _I've got one confession  
A love deprivation  
I've got a jet black heart  
It's all fucked up and it's falling apart_

"Oh _god_ …"

Cell almost paused but realized quickly that it was Sayah, feeling a lustful, aching wave go down his whole body. He responded by gently sucking on the inside small mound at the very top of her private, smirking mischievously at her and her body's response.

"Oh god please…please, Cell… _don't_ stop…"

Her words overwhelmed his senses and he was able to grasp on to some restraint, switching from sucking to licking that same spot, using quick movements and the perfect amount of pressure to try and get her over the edge.

"Oh god, Cell…" Was all Sayah managed to say just before her climax hit her, feeling Cell continue to tease her through the waves of pleasure that passed through her body. She grabbed on to the remaining grass she hadn't already pulled out while he'd been wonderfully torturing her, and he stopped teasing her shortly after the last ripple of bliss had overtaken her. She opened her eyes, her chest heaving up and down as she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. She smiled eagerly, and through half-closed lids she looked at Cell, who was standing almost looking regal as he looked down at her, a content smirk on his face – he was obviously very proud of himself.

 _I've got another confession  
I fell to temptation  
And there is no question  
There was some connection_

Cell took in the sight before him one last time before reaching over and picking her up again like before, feeling as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist and he held her close to him, one arm on her lower back and the other resting a hand on her upper back, while her hands rested on his chest. He moved back over to the waterfall, the warm water running down both of their bodies before he again pressed her up against the earth behind it, enjoying the water cascading down his back. With one hand he reached down and removed the piece of armor covering his private, throwing it aside to the grass for the time being, and moving his arms to Sayah's waist, gently lifting her over himself before steadily entering her, hearing her gasp before moaning. He was doing his best to keep restraint, but he knew it wouldn't be long before he couldn't hold back anymore, especially as he felt Sayah's fingers digging into his shoulders in her yearning.

Sayah inclined her head back slightly and, through lowered lids, glanced at Cell, whose gaze she hadn't broken the entire time since he'd picked her up. She felt breathless as her body ached for more of him, for _all_ of him, and she didn't wait long before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck, closing her eyes while simultaneously kissing him. She felt him growl lightly before pressing her roughly against the earth, and she moaned into his mouth as he began driving in and out of her, barely restrained. They pulled back just enough to catch their breath, their lips only millimeters from each other, and she opened her eyes slightly to look into his, tracing her hands up to rest on either side of his face, speaking softly into his lips.

"Cell, I _need_ you so, so badly…"

Upon hearing her words, his body immediately let all inhibitions go and he pulled her tight to him, kissing her so passionately and obsessively like he'd never done before. He thrust himself in and out of her possessively, placing one hand on the wall of earth behind Sayah to steady himself, getting lost in the delightful and mouthwatering feelings that were being inside of her, and kissing her ardently. He could tell she was getting close again as she moaned and whimpered into their kiss, and he knew he was getting near his own climax, growling in response. He hadn't even noticed he'd made a large, circular indentation in the wall with his hand as they continued on.

 _I've got to follow my heart  
No matter how far  
I've gotta roll the dice  
Never look back and never think twice…_

"Oh, Cell…" She sighed adoringly into his lips, both of them pulling back and looking at each other, yearning in their eyes, "Make me yours all over again…" She pleaded longingly, seductively moving her hands down to his chest and moving forward just enough to catch his bottom lip gently with her teeth, softly tracing her tongue on it before pulling back and slowly letting it go, knowing that he'd liked that earlier. "Please…" She begged, their lips still touching as her body was also fully in control now that they were both so entranced in pleasure.

Cell let out a deep growl at her words and he crushed her lips with his again, reaching down and grabbing her hands from his chest. He brusquely raised her arms above her head, the fingers on both their hands interlocking as he roughly pinned her against the soft earth and bedrock, although still managing to keep enough control to not hurt her. He kept driving himself in and out of her, not missing a beat as she purred in pleasure, pulling back from her lips slightly and briefly to see her meet his fuchsia eyes with her emerald ones. "Are you all mine? Only mine?" He growled hungrily into her lips, watching as the look of pleasure on her face turned into a wistful smile.

"Yes, I'm all yours…only yours…always…" She hummed yearningly in response, feeling as Cell moved one arm to rest on her lower back and pulled her tight to him, the slight angle change causing them both to moan as he drove himself as deep as he could inside her, thrusting. He left his other hand up to keep Sayah's hands pinned above her, and he reveled in the sight, noticing the lovely rosy tint on her flushed cheeks and thoroughly enjoying the fact that he had all the control. Although he undeniably enjoyed the way he restrained her for pleasure in this way, he'd be lying if he said he didn't also adore the feeling of her hands touching and running all over his body.

 _Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness  
I need to calculate  
What creates my own madness  
And I'm addicted to your punishment  
And you're the master  
And I am waiting for disaster…_

They kissed each other greedily and raveningly just before she reached her peak, and she pulled back from the kiss to tilt her head back just so, her moans loud but getting lost in the sounds of the waterfall. She knew Cell had also climaxed by the way their bodies had both shook against each other, yet did so in tune with one another, and she couldn't help but smile and let out a happy sigh when she felt Cell place his head on her shoulder, tasting and nipping her neck tenderly.

It was at that moment that Cell knew without a doubt she _had_ to come with him. He would bring her, whether she liked it or not, away from this worthless, pathetic planet and be his, forever. Even if he had to knock her unconscious momentarily for her to cooperate, he would do so, and she'd get over it later when they enjoyed each other after he'd obliterated Earth, with Goku and all of his idiotic friends and fighters in it. He had no choice – he _had_ to destroy the Earth – but he'd come to realize and, as much as he hated to, admit that he couldn't do so if he knew she was still on it. This left him with only one option, but hopefully she'd quickly realize the fate of this planet once he annihilated all the contenders for his tournament, and he shouldn't have to do anything against her will…but he would, if he had to.

 _Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness  
I need to calculate  
What creates my own madness  
And I'm addicted to your punishment  
And you're the master  
And I am craving this disaster…_


	12. The Games Begin

Chapter 12

 **A/N: Hi all! I apologize in advance for having to skip forward a bit in this chapter - I didn't want to have to detail through the Goku/Cell and Gohan/Cell fights, and I'm sure most, if not all, of you have probably seen how they go. I kind of skipped to the parts that were important for this story, and it's a bit of a filler chapter to explain what happens (and how) before the big battle. I'm going to work on CH 13 this week, so hopefully I can get it out before the weekend! That's my plan, fingers crossed. I still haven't decided what to do with Cell...and I've had some ideas for a sequel, but I'm not even sure if anyone would want a sequel, lol. I guess it depends on what happens in the next chapters, huh?**

 **Anyway, many thanks to those of you that review:**

 **Zerousy - I know, it was kind of a long chapter, wasn't it? But I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Ari Vela1 - Hehe, as you read the chapters after CH1, I think you might like it. At least, I hope you do - if not, I'm always up for constructive criticism! And oh, I'm a bit of a stickler for trying to be as accurate as possible, although I may make some mistakes, haha. But I went through the Cell Saga and took notes as I went along, so I tried, I promise!**

 **Thanks to everyone who reads and especially those who take the time to review, I love getting them and it helps inspire me to keep going. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sayah awoke to the gentle rays of the sun kissing her skin, causing her to groan and roll over, trying to pull the blanket over her head. Suddenly, the reminiscent thought that Cell's tournament was _today_ struck her, and she gasped while simultaneously sitting up, immediately throwing the blanket off of herself. Her eyes darted around the ring nervously until she spotted Cell, and she hadn't even realized a smile had graced her lips as she let out a sigh of relief. Her mind teased her with the memories of the previous night, causing her to cheeks to flush and she looked down at herself, noticing the pajamas she was wearing. _"I don't remember much after we both…"_ She trailed off, eyes widening slightly before she placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling the heat radiating off them as she blushed furiously. She pushed the thoughts from her head long enough to look over at him, grinning when she saw that he stood like a statue in his "favorite spot," as she called it, and got up, letting out a soft sigh as she began to fold and put her blankets into the duffel bag. While doing so, she grabbed a pair of very light running shoes, some comfortable black yoga shorts and a purple form-fitting v-neck shirt, not even thinking as she went to her usual spot behind a tree to change. On her way back she slung her PJs over her shoulder and pulled her long hair up into a messy bun, knowing that if it was anything like yesterday, it would probably get pretty warm out there today as well. She added her PJs to the duffel bag and zipped it up, looking around for a place to put it so it wouldn't get destroyed during the tournament. She found a spot a little ways away and hummed as she walked over, setting the bag down once she'd gotten there and slowly quieting her humming as she made her way back.

She jumped back onto the ring and leisurely walked over to Cell, stopping once she faced his back and smiling slightly. She couldn't quite describe what she was feeling since it felt like a mixture of so many conflicting emotions, although deep down she knew that her main worry was that she didn't want him to get hurt. In truth, she didn't want _anyone_ to get hurt, but she seriously doubted her wishes would come true, especially knowing Cell. She gingerly reached out and placed her hand on one of his black wings, a small smile still on her face as she delicately traced her fingers down and over the smooth yet tough surface. She paused when she felt him shift, and moved her hand back to rest at her side as he turned around, facing her. She beamed up at him as she met his eyes, noticing the flicker of affection he was trying hard to conceal in them. The two stared at each other for a short while, neither of them wanting to break the comfortable silence that was knowing what they'd shared the night before. Sayah knew that there were so many things she wanted to say to him, and perhaps he might even feel the same way, but she just couldn't bring herself to share her feelings openly, especially because she really didn't know what he'd say in return…if he even said anything at all. _"Maybe we can talk after the tournament…he's probably so focused on it right now that he couldn't tell me anything, even if he wanted to."_ She thought, letting out a quiet sigh before being the first to speak.

"So, today's the day, huh?"

"Indeed it is."

Sayah bit her lip tentatively, noticing as his eyes briefly shifted to look at it before meeting her eyes again. "Well, I know I can't stop you, but, just…please, don't get hurt, okay?"

Cell was amazed at her words. He fully expected her to try and convince him to change his mind about the tournament, or at least ask him to take it easy on his opponents, but he never expected her to be concerned about _him_. He hid a smile behind a smirk and tried to veil the fondness and caring emotions he felt for her from showing in his eyes as he answered, arrogantly.

"Please. You shouldn't worry about me…you should _really_ worry about _them_."

Sayah let out a laugh, shaking her head briefly before looking down at the ground for a moment, placing her hands on her hips. She felt a few locks of loose hair tickle her face as a gentle breeze blew by, and she mused momentarily before she abruptly looked back up and walked over to him, catching him slightly by surprise. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and hid her face in it, closing her eyes and feeling as he placed his hands on either side of her waist, almost as if unsure of what to do. After a short time, she gently pulled back a little, moving her lips to his ear and whispering into it. " _Please_ be careful Cell…I care about you _so much_." She breathed those last two words to him softly, her voice almost sounding as if her heart was already aching from the thought of him getting hurt. She paused for a brief minute before shifting slightly, turning to fondly and wistfully place a kiss on his cheek, feeling his grip on her waist tense a bit before loosening again. She pulled away, meeting his gaze fleetingly and smiling the entire time. She gradually stepped back and out of his gentle embrace, turning around and walking away from him towards a spot that she could watch him from. Halfway to the edge of the ring she looked over her shoulder at him as she moved, unable to see the feelings in his gaze as she gave him a thumbs-up and a wink, grinning before turning back and heading to her planned destination. Even though he hadn't said a word she felt he cared, but she also knew that he was itching to get some last-minute training in before his tournament started.

* * *

She'd watched him for a while as she ate her muffin for breakfast, sitting on top of a rock that was a bit taller than her that she'd somehow managed to scale. She could tell that it was getting closer and closer to the start of the tournament by the way he'd been acting, almost like a little kid waiting excitedly for the ice cream truck to roll up. He kept flexing his muscles and moving his fingers, unable to sit still as the time creeped closer to barely minutes before the Cell Games began.

She heard the news van roll up, and she silently thanked the stars that the reporter wasn't able to see her from where she was sitting (or if he was, he didn't seem to care), which was a lot closer to the ring than he had the nerve to be. She'd looked back at Cell after they arrived, and noticed that he now stood perfectly still, arms crossed and not even bothering to give them a glance – he wasn't here for the publicity, and she _definitely_ knew that. It wasn't long after the news crew arrived that Mr. Satan arrived, and she only recognized him from some articles she'd read on the news about him supposedly being the "strongest man on Earth," which caused her to chuckle. There was no chance that he could stand up to Cell – she knew _that_ , too.

She let out a soft sigh before quickly noticing someone in the sky, causing her jaw to drop slightly – she didn't think anyone besides Cell could fly, and the guy looked so much like a human that she wasn't exactly sure how it was possible. She blinked twice to get the awe out of her eyes before noticing the reporter approach this black-haired man that'd just arrived, and she tried not to laugh at said man's response, shaking her head and looking back to Cell, who hadn't budged from his spot.

It wasn't but a brief moment later that she felt something similar to electricity coursing through her entire body, and her breath caught in her throat when she looked over and saw someone she instantly recognized, even though she knew she hadn't seen 16 since escaping Dr. Gero's lab. She sensed something in her heart similar to the feeling you get when you see a best friend you haven't visited or spoken to in a while, and she suddenly felt elated, as if he really _was_ a blood brother she cared for very much. She couldn't explain her mind or body's reactions to seeing him, but she knew better than to try and fight what she felt inside, especially since she'd let that guide her the entire time since she'd fled years ago.

She watched him land near the black-haired guy and, sure enough, instantly after doing so he snapped his head and immediately looked at where she was. She jumped off the rock, dusting herself off just as he flew over, landing directly in front of her and staring at her with wide eyes. After a moment of gaping, he grinned and immediately picked her up, hugging her close and waiting for her to return the gesture before spinning her around, making her laugh loudly. Currently unbeknownst to her, this was something that they'd often done before she'd escaped.

He finally stopped and set her down, still smiling as he spoke in his usual, almost monotone voice. "16B. What are you doing here? How did you get here?" He asked, still a bit in shock from learning she indeed was alive and well. Although he himself had had an inkling deep down since leaving Dr. Gero's lab that she was still functional, he knew better than to mention it to 17 and 18, especially since he didn't know how they'd react and, similarly, because Dr. Gero had instructed him a long time ago to keep her existence a secret – only he and the Dr. knew she was an active android.

Sayah smiled nervously and glanced at Cell briefly, rubbing the back of her head and placing her other hand on her hip. "Well, that's kind of a long story…" She trailed off, looking up at 16's towering form and grinning, hoping he wouldn't pry.

16 didn't miss the glance for a second, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips curling into a frown as he looked over at Cell. "So it was Cell. Did he hurt you?" He asked, peeling his glare from Cell's form on the ring to look back at her, walking forward. He didn't give her a chance to answer before he bent slightly at his waist and began scanning her up and down with his eyes, circling her petite frame and lifting her arms, scrutinizing them for any damage.

"Uhh…no?" Sayah trailed off, trying not to laugh at his antics as he pored over her protectively. Her mind raced between the memories of Cell almost killing her before Goku arrived, and the passionate nights they'd spent together the last few days, causing her cheeks to redden significantly. She tried to keep a poker face as best she could, letting out the breath she'd been holding when 16 straightened back up and continued surveying her in- and outwardly for any physical damage. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought he really _was_ her true older brother.

"Did he give you this bruise?" He suddenly asked alarmingly, pointing at a spot on her neck and trying to lean closer to get a better look.

Sayah's eyes widened, instantly knowing exactly what spot 16 was talking about. _"Oh god, I'm_ _ **so**_ _gonna_ _ **kill**_ _him!"_ She thought, trying not to look at Cell as she immediately placed her hand over the spot on her neck that he'd nibbled at the night before, and that 16 was now pointing suspiciously at. She stared intently at the ground while trying to think of the right answer, hoping she wouldn't have a heat stroke from how hard she was blushing. "Um…yes? Wait, no. No no no no no!" She replied while shaking her head furiously, just before placing her free hand over her face and hoping he wouldn't be able to see through her lie. She didn't exactly want her "older brother" to rush over to Cell in a rampage because he'd figured out they'd been intimate. In fact, she wasn't sure if she even wanted anyone else to know what had happened between them. She wanted to keep this secret close to her, nestled and secure, until she felt she could trust someone deep enough to tell them that Earth's mass murderer had a…softer side. A quick-learning, interesting and perceptive, very-much-liked-to-explore-her-body…side.

She looked up from her contemplations when she noticed 16 hadn't said anything but instead had his back to her, and she traced his gaze to see just what he was looking at. Her eyes widened when she saw the multitude of men that had speedily arrived, including the one she recognized named Goku, all of them looking like they could hold their own in a fight. But a fight against Cell, though…

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed one of the men, who seemed to be the shortest of them and didn't have any hair, waving and smiling in their direction. She arched a brow, looking over at 16 and assuming that it was probably him he was waving at. She got her answer when 16 turned to her, a small smile on his lips. "I should introduce you to my…friends."

Sayah smiled up at him, feeling a little tickle in her chest when he said that he had friends. She felt happy, almost proud that he'd been able to find others to connect with, especially ones that weren't just Dr. Gero's androids. "Oh, okay, I gue—" She didn't get to finish before 16 swiftly picked her up bridal style and flew over to where all the men were, causing her eyes to widen and hoping that they wouldn't ask her too many questions about who she was. On second thought, she wouldn't mind answering questions about that, as long as they didn't ask her any about why she was there…

16 landed in front of the bald guy and set her down, stepping in front of her protectively. All of the men turned their eyes to look from Cell to the both of them, eyes widening slightly in awe and confusion. "This is 16B," He spoke loudly, almost proudly, "She is my sibling."

Sayah could almost hear crickets in the silence that ensued. She poked her head out from behind 16's tall figure and smiled, ignoring all of their open jaws before slowly moving to stand next to him. "Uhm…hi. My name's Sayah." She uttered quietly, rubbing one of her arms with her hand nervously as she felt them all staring at her. She thanked Kami when Goku spoke up first.

"We've met already," Goku nodded at her, and Sayah nodded back. He paused a moment before crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side. "So, wait…you're an android? I thought androids were supposed to be strong, but when we met you couldn't even break out of Cell's grip."

Sayah took a deep breath and tried not to glare at him. _"No shit, like I haven't already learned that the hard way…"_ She thought, placing her hands on her hips before responding. "Yes, well…I _am_ an android, I just recently learned that myself," She muttered the last part, hoping they wouldn't hear before continuing, "But it's all just a really long…messed up…story. Maybe I can tell you all some other time," She smiled, pointing at the arena and starting to turn but freezing when Goku spoke up again.

Goku suddenly pointed at her neck and furrowed his eyebrows angrily. "That jerk. He didn't keep his promise! He did hurt you, didn't he?! I'm gonna go and give him a piece of my mind…"

Sayah's eyes widened in embarrassment and fear for his safety before she placed a hand over the bruise-like spot again and ran out in front of Goku, putting her free hand out so he couldn't move. "No, he didn't! I swear. He kept his promise." She tried not to yell and drag attention to them, but she had a feeling that Cell's impeccable hearing had probably heard _all_ the conversations she'd had that day. That, and she could almost feel his stare boring a hole in her back…

"Then what happened?" Goku asked, trying to get a better look at her neck, but being blocked by her hand.

"That's…" She hesitated, trying to think of the right thing to say that wouldn't give them the wrong, or rather, _right_ , idea about what had happened. Not your concern? Nope. None of your business? Even worse. She could feel them staring as they waited for an explanation, and she let out the breath she'd been holding when she heard Cell's voice announcing the beginning of the Games. She smiled in relief as all of them turned their attention to the ring and to Mr. Satan, who seemed to be boasting about going first.

* * *

The fight between Cell and Goku had been intense so far, and she'd had about the same trouble keeping up as the human fighters in the group that she stood in. It was now obvious to her that the others that could keep up or pretty much keep up with the bout were not human, or at least not fully human, and she was curious to find out more about them, but she knew that now was not the time to ask. _"I'll ask 16 after this tournament…if we all survive,"_ She thought, completely astonished at the way the two were fighting. She now realized that when Cell annihilated the Royal Army he'd only used a tiny fraction of his power, and she couldn't ever have imagined that he was this strong, yet in a way, she almost admired him more for being able to control himself so carefully with her…well, for the most part, that is.

She was brought back to reality when she heard some of the men around her yelling at Goku about blowing up the planet, and she looked up in time to see him charging what they called a Kamehameha wave, the energy rising and making the Earth tremble. Her eyes widened in alarm and she took a few steps back, bumping into a large rock and not realizing she was pressing her back against it while still staring at the two, completely unaware of what was to come next. Goku suddenly reappeared in front of Cell, catching him off guard and released the wave point-blank, causing Sayah to gasp and place her hands over her mouth, eyes brimming with tears. She felt a searing pain tearing at her heart, and although something told her he wasn't dead, what she'd just witnessed almost made that feeling null and void.

She slowly slid down the rock to sit, shutting her eyes tight and hoping nobody could tell she was crying. _"Kami forgive me and the rest of the world can hate me but Cell, please be okay…"_ She thought, trying not to tremble in her spot or bring any attention to herself. She heard two of the men, whom had introduced themselves as Tien and Yamcha, exclaiming that Cell was dead, and she took a few shallow breaths to try and keep herself from sobbing and making any noise. Something deep in her heart told her that Cell wasn't dead, but she couldn't bring herself to look and see what had become of him – she didn't know if she could take it. It wasn't long before she heard worried and astounded expressions from those around her, and she blinked a few tears away to look up, seeing Cell in all his glory still in the air, almost laughing at Goku. She felt a large wave of relief and excitement come over her as she stood, and she smiled behind her hands before using them to wipe the tears away, hastily realizing her smile was visible and erasing it from her face as well.

* * *

Sayah almost couldn't fathom what was happening, and had she not been there, she wouldn't have believed it. Goku had given up and named his son, Gohan, as his successor in the tournament, and although she could tell the kid was powerful, she could also tell that his nature wasn't to fight, much like herself and 16. She'd been trying to keep herself from being horrified by what Cell was doing to him, but she couldn't help feeling appalled at what she was witnessing – she couldn't understand how the Cell that she'd been with the past few days was the same as the one doing this, to a child, nonetheless. She was witnessing firsthand the true evil and intent that Dr. Gero had planned for Cell, and she knew that he was indeed enjoying every minute of it, the malice apparent in his face as he squeezed harder and harder on Gohan's body inside the bear hug he had him in.

Her heart felt torn equally in two directions, one where she cared for him, and the other where she couldn't stand what he was doing, what he took _pleasure_ in doing. This showed her that she could never go with him if he won the tournament – she knew that she couldn't stand watching him do this again and again, planet to planet, enjoying himself the entire time. She wanted so badly to step in and make him stop, but she knew there was no way in hell she was any match for him, and he would probably just find some way to get around her to keep going. But, maybe it was worth it to try, if it kept Cell from killing this child…

She hadn't even registered 16 moving until she heard his voice yelling at them from below. Her eyes widened at his words of self-destruction, and she felt her breath catch in her throat, a wave of dread coursing through her entire body. When Krillin explained that the bomb was no longer inside him, panic overtook her, and she knew that Cell would take this opportunity to get his revenge.

Everything that followed all seemed to happen in slow motion to her. Cell broke free of 16's hold, immediately after using an energy blast to blow him to bits, pieces of him landing all around. Sayah fell to her knees as she watched, eyes brimming with tears as she felt something inside her begin to stir – something she'd never, ever felt so intensely before.

She placed her hands over her mouth in horror, keeping herself from making any noise as tears ran like a waterfall down her face. Her body trembled, and as her mind raced in a million different directions, her eyes scanned through the pieces that were left of Android 16. She was busy doing so when Cell made his Jrs., and she didn't even register all of them picking a target to pummel on as she simply appeared to just stare into the distance. All of the fighters were too busy trying to stay alive to even notice that all of the Jrs. had avoided her, leaving her be at their master's request.

She finally spotted his head near Mr. Satan and her eyes widened, an idea suddenly hitting her. Although tears continued to stream down her face, she moved her hands away from her mouth and began to use them to crawl forward lethargically, to the edge of the precipice she and some of the others were still on, all while quietly whispering, "I can fix him. I can still fix him." She kept whispering those last five words to herself as if in a trance, trying to make herself feel better and wrap her head around what had just happened.

Cell smirked while his Jrs. were displaying their power, and as he watched, he spotted Sayah's sluggishly inching form out of the corner of his eye. Even with his amazing hearing he couldn't seem to make out what she was whispering through all the commotion going on around them, and he felt something wrenching and twisting inside of him as he saw her in that condition, remembering the last time she'd similarly looked that way was when he'd eradicated the entire Royal Army before her eyes. He growled in irritation, knowing deep down that he abhorred seeing her like that, and he'd begun flying over to her to snap her out of it when he was stopped by Android 16's voice. He froze midair, realizing that he'd been incorrect in thinking that he'd already gotten rid of that pest, and scowling angrily when he saw that 16's head was still intact, and speaking to Gohan. He instantly flew over to them, and as 16 said what Cell officially deemed would be his last few words, he let out a loud, wicked laugh and stepped on the android's head, crushing and shattering it into many tiny pieces. He gradually stopped laughing and looked down at Gohan, who was staring in disbelief, and was about to say something when he felt a large power level suddenly appear, familiar yet also unfamiliar, and looked in the direction of where it was coming from.

Sayah's body had frozen in place, barely a couple of feet from the edge of the cliff when she saw Cell approaching what remained of Android 16. "Oh god, no…" She uttered frightfully, feeling something begin to overtake her as she watched Cell step on her sibling's head, eradicating all hope and possibility of her fixing him and bringing him back. She felt like she was gradually and steadily losing control of herself, as if a switch had been flipped in her brain and she placed her hands over her head, leaning forward slightly as she attempted to stand, but being unable to do anything more than get back into a kneeling position. "16…what's happening to me?" She whispered, shutting her eyes tight and clutching her head with her heads, feeling as the ground commenced to shake beneath her, and causing her to curl her body forward and into herself. Her body began to feel extremely warm and she placed her hands in front of her, still kneeling as a gust picked up suddenly around her, causing violent air waves to push out in ripples from her body. "Please…stop," were the last words she murmured before her body was engulfed in a golden glow, blinding everyone around her.

Her form unexpectedly shifted position, and although she was still kneeling, her back was arched toward the sky and her head leaning back, her eyes entirely engulfed and glowing gold, while her mouth was open and also radiating a golden glow while she let out a shrill scream, wounding the ears of anyone nearby while simultaneously pushing them or flinging them back with the sheer force of her voice. The band that had kept her hair in a bun snapped easily, causing her hair to fly all around her wildly with the wind.

Cell, now mid-air and above where she was, watched in awe at the transformation, completely unaware that she had this kind of strength within her, and wondering why it hadn't come out before, such as when he'd threatened to kill her a while back. He could feel her energy climbing exponentially, easily surpassing some of the fighters that were there, and he watched as they and his Jrs. tried digging their heels into the ground to keep from being flung into the air, not all of them succeeding. He raised his arm to cover his eyes from the strength of the wind since he didn't want to stop watching her, and he managed to create a large barrier around himself to protect him from the raw power, although he kept having to increase the strength of it to match the potency of the fierce gusts that her body was emitting. He wasn't sure if this was going to stop any time soon, so he used a good amount of force to try and fly over to her, managing to land a few feet behind her, but unable to get any closer than that, shielding his ears with his hands to keep them from bleeding. _"Where the hell did she get all this power? Did Dr. Gero give this to her, as some sort of secret ability?"_

The vicious storm suddenly died down along with the shrill screech, and Sayah's body slumped forward, although she was able to catch herself by placing her arms out in front of her. She was enveloped in a gentle golden glow, and she was breathing heavily, her eyes closed. She slowly rose, not facing Cell as her long brown hair cascaded down her back, its unaffected color concealing the fact her eyes had changed. As she stood she frowned, furiously glowering at the area where Android 16 had been slaughtered by Cell.


	13. You're The Enemy

Chapter 13

 **A/N: Hi guys! I've been trying to decide on whether or not to do a sequel, but I think I have three options.**

 **1) Don't write a sequel.**

 **2) Write a sequel as a "separate" story.**

 **3) Instead of sequel, just keep adding chapters to this story.**

 **I'd like to hear some opinions, if you guys have the time - even if it's just the number 1, 2, or 3! I'm leaning more towards continuing to write, but not sure whether to do #2 or #3. Let me know what you think!**

 **Zerousy: OMG I laughed SO hard when I read your review! I almost fell out of my chair, LOL. But I did have a serious debate whether or not to do that to 16, but I needed something BAD to happen to someone she deeply cares about to trigger the full change. Hopefully you like this chapter - I think you will!**

* * *

" _16!"_

 _The tall, red-haired android turned from where he was placing a fallen bird's nest back in a tree to where the voice came from, smiling widely. He took a few steps forward before crouching down to one knee, holding his arms out as if ready to embrace. A couple of seconds barely passed before he let out a soft 'uff' when the person threw themselves on him, causing him to let out a hearty laugh as he wrapped his arms around them protectively and stood before he began to spin them around, grinning. He stopped after a few turns and gently set the smaller person down, looking down at them with his deep blue eyes._

" _I missed you so much!" The young woman, whose face was revealed to be Sayah, exclaimed happily, watching as the other android took a seat at the base of the tree. She took a seat next to him and looked over at him, watching as a few birds flew near them and one landed on 16's finger when he held his hand out._

" _We just saw each other yesterday, did we not?" He responded in his usual, semi-monotone voice, smiling and never removing his eyes from the chirping bird in his hand._

" _Yeeeees…" Sayah trailed off, letting out a small laugh before scratching the back of her head, sighing, "But still…" She rested her hand on his upper arm, almost on his shoulder, "I don't know how much longer father will let you be with me before you have to go back to sleep. It gets kind of lonely in that huge lab, you know."_

 _16 gently moved his hand to rest on his lap as more birds and animals approached them, the first bird now on his other shoulder. "I predict that once 19 is active, he will request me to go back into my pod until he needs me again," He paused, looking over at her with his gentle and understanding eyes before continuing, "19 will be your new companion."_

 _Sayah shuddered, shaking her head a bit. "I don't like that at all...I'm not sure exactly how father will make 19, but…if he follows his current blueprints…he already creeps me out!" She moved so she could look at 16, a frown on her face, "That doll has always been so eerie…I don't know why father decided to design him after it." She shuddered, recalling the figurine Dr. Gero had told her he'd brought home as a trophy from an enemy base many years ago. She paused, smiling a bit before continuing, "At least he didn't design Cell after it. I'm not sure anyone would take Cell seriously if he did," She snickered, stopping when a squirrel came closer to her and smiling at it, reaching a hand out. It didn't take long before the small animal was letting her pet him and scratch his head and ears._

" _Cell…" 16 lingered on the name before looking over at Sayah, smiling wide when he saw her being kind and gentle to the animal, but hesitating when he remembered what he was about to say to her. "You must be careful with him, 16B. He will be very powerful when he is perfect and complete…he could easily turn on you someday."_

 _Sayah's eyes slowly lifted from the critter to her brother, a pensive look on her face. "You think so?" She stated quietly, remembering the various times she'd gone down to the basement where Cell was in his tank, speaking to him just to have someone to talk to, even though she knew he couldn't answer her. She let out a quiet sigh, looking up at the sky and pursing her lips to the side, tentatively, "Even if one of the tasks father designated to him was to protect me?" She asked, looking back to 16 again and watching him curiously._

" _Yes," He answered, "Specifically because of that. It is my belief that he will not be fully loyal to Dr. Gero. If so, he could rebel, and choose to use his task as your guardian to do so," He continued, continuing his unmoving gaze, "And you will be no match for him, even in his imperfect stage."_

 _Sayah frowned, looking away from her brother as he spoke to stare at the grass next to her. As he continued, she moved to rest her head on one of his legs, facing away from his body and toward the woods before curling up and letting out a soft sigh when he finished. "Okay, brother…I will be careful. For you." She smiled and smoothed the side of her white dress out slightly on her legs, reaching up and curling her fingers around the emerald gem attached to the black, choker-styled necklace she had to wear. "Do you think father would be angry if we came back after dusk?" She asked, remembering Dr. Gero's words about not straying too far or for too long from the lab._

 _16 looked down at her as she spoke, grinning when he noticed some of the woodland creatures curling up against Sayah, while some of the birds landed on her leg or on her side, tweeting. His eyes moved from the birds to the necklace she was wearing, observing silently as she fidgeted with the gem a bit, the smile dropping from his face. "I do not want to risk him deactivating you out of fear again…I'm sure you recall what happened last time we didn't follow his instructions," He responded, remembering the night he'd had to carry and fly her back to the lab, trying not to panic at the fact she'd just collapsed out of nowhere. He still did not fully understand why Dr. Gero deemed it necessary to make her wear this tracking-and-deactivating necklace any time they wanted to spend time outside the lab, especially since she was with him and he could easily bring her back, but he could speculate. "I believe he does not want to risk losing you."_

 _Sayah rolled her eyes before yawning, leisurely tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure why…" She trailed off, feeling as her eyelids started to feel heavy as she began to drift off into a light sleep._

" _ **Because he's NOT your father, that's why."**_

 _Sayah's eyes widened suddenly and a chill ran down her spine, causing her to immediately shoot straight up back into a sitting position, frightening all of the animals that were nearby and making them scurry away to hide. The birds couldn't fly away fast enough, and the sound of them flapping their wings echoed throughout the area, causing Android 16 to slowly look from their fleeing forms over to his sibling's terrified face._

" _You're still hearing that voice." He said quietly yet knowingly, not wanting to startle her out of her stupor too quickly. He watched as the frightened look on her face slowly dissuaded to shock and, finally, confusion._

" _Yes…" She said quietly, looking at the ground and feeling 16's intense gaze on her. She bit her bottom lip nervously, not wanting to look him in the eye._

" _Have you told Dr. Gero?" He asked calmly, watching as her eyes finally lifted from the ground to meet his, seeing her feelings of bewilderment and anxiety easily through them._

" _No," She embarrassedly responded, looking away from him for a moment to see the animals hesitantly returning, "I don't want to burden him. He's already got a lot on his mind with having to build Androids 19 and 20 and all. He's transferring his brain to 20, but he said he won't let me do it in case something goes wrong…He already worries about me enough," She finished, looking back at 16 with tear-filled eyes._

" _ **You mindless, stupid girl…wake up! Don't you realize he's the reason your REAL life was taken from you?!"**_

 _Sayah gasped when she heard the voice again, curling her legs up to her chest and putting her hands on her head. She closed her eyes tight, ignoring the tears that fell from them and shook her head, uttering softly. "Please leave me alone. Please…"_

 _It wasn't even two seconds later that she felt 16's strong arms around her, holding her tight. "Someday you will have to face this head on. You are unlike me in that you were made from an existing human body – the 'previous' you might be who is plaguing your mind. I'm not sure both of you can win this, 16B. But I know you will do what you deep down feel is right." He stopped, picking her up into his arms and cradling her close as if she was a child; even though he knew she was a grown adult, he couldn't help but be so protective of her, especially because she seemed so naïve to the current and future dangers around them. He nodded to the animals that were watching them with curiosity before turning to head back to the lab. "For now, we must return home and you will have some rest."_

* * *

As sudden as the power appeared it disappeared, and Cell stood in the same spot, staring at Sayah's back in confusion. _"Her body is still emitting some sort of glow…just because I can't feel her power level doesn't mean it isn't there – it was the same with the other Androids,"_ He thought, slowly approaching her. As he did so, he noticed that his Jrs. were out of shock enough to begin pummeling the other fighters around them again, giving him a wide smirk. As far as he could tell, they would be far too busy to meddle with him while he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened with Sayah.

He got close enough to touch her and paused, looking over the cliff to see Gohan still struggling with himself, and he narrowed his eyes knowingly, the smirk still ever present on his face. _"Foolish child. He sees his friends struggling and near death, but he's still too scared to fight…how pathetic."_ He moved his gaze back to Sayah, not realizing his face had worry plastered all over it before he reached out to grab her wrist to try and turn her around. "Sayah, you need to tell me—"

Before Cell could even touch her, she sent out a strong wave of energy that pushed him back quite a few feet, and would've tossed him into the sky easily had he not made a barrier to contest it. "Don't you _dare_ touch me," She hissed, slowly turning to face him, her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her lips were set in a thin line and she glared at him, any trace of care and affection completely vanished from her now-golden eyes.

" _What the hell is this?"_ Cell thought as he watched her curiously yet cautiously, dissolving the barrier he'd made and noticing the hue of her eyes had changed from the gorgeous emerald he'd grown to silently enjoy looking into, to a golden similar to that of the Super Saiyans. He stood there simply taking in the sight before him, although he knew he'd be lying if he said he preferred how she looked now as to how she used to. He could easily tell that the Sayah standing before him wasn't quite exactly the same as the one he'd spent the past few days with, and he hated to admit to himself that he already missed the way her plump lips tended to almost always be set in a smile. He had the deeply ominous feeling of having to combat her plaguing him, and he had to confess that although fighting her was the last thing he wanted to do, deep down he knew he probably wouldn't have a choice but to do so. His mind struggled with ways to get her out of this seemingly trance-like state, knowing that it wouldn't be easy, especially considering he didn't exactly know how high her power level went. " _Wounding her might just be unavoidable…"_

Sayah's eyes narrowed at him as she watched him scrutinize her, and her lips curled from a set line down into a frown. "Don't bother," She snarled, lowering herself into an attack position, "You'll never be able to figure out my true power level." She lunged towards him, startling him when she almost immediately appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. She began to throw a few hard punches to vital areas of his chest, and he blocked them with some difficulty as he quickly learned just how power-packed they were.

" _What the hell,"_ He thought, eyes widening when she'd seemed to materialize out of nowhere in front of him, _"I didn't expect her to be this fast…or strong!"_ He managed to step out of the way of her last attack, trying to figure out the best course of action to end this without harming her. He suddenly got an idea and did a backflip to avoid her latest kick, just before jumping into the air and hovering a few feet above her, one leg bent at the knee as he looked downward to where she stood.

Sayah growled, her eyes never leaving his form as he took to the sky, and she tightened her fists at her sides, scowling, "You dare have the audacity to look down upon _me_?!" She yelled to him, easily taking flight as if she'd done it her entire life, and quickly caught up to him, startling him when she swiftly ran her hand across his face, slapping him hard and leaving a deep, dark reddish-purple mark.

Cell gradually turned his head back to look straight at her, eyes wide. He couldn't believe he'd let his guard down enough for her to get a shot in, although deep down he had to admit that he was having some trouble foreseeing her movements since he'd never fought, or had to fight, her before. Frankly, deep inside he'd never _wanted_ to fight her, and he hoped he wouldn't ever have to do it again once he snapped her out of whatever state she seemed to be in. He bit his tongue from calling her something foul, knowing that the Sayah he knew was dormant in there somewhere, and whom he needed to coax out, and fast. He wrestled to quell his anger as he wiped some blood from his lip with the back of his hand, simultaneously straining to shove the feelings he had for her down far enough to be able to defend himself, or fight her off, if he had to.

Sayah rapidly lunged at him again, throwing a barrage of punches and kicks, trying to make sure to land one on him, and getting frustrated when he kept blocking them without fighting back. "I see you don't want to die honorably…that's fine with me." She sneered, refraining from giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Out of curiosity, and now seeing that she could very well defend herself, he threw a few punches at her and froze, body stiffening when she caught both of his fists in her hands without a blink, his eyes wide as he stared at her. He felt a chill run down his spine when he saw a malicious smirk adorn her lips, and his mind fleeted briefly to wonder if this was how his opponents felt when he did the same to them. He gritted his teeth as he felt her hands tighten around his fists, and his eyes narrowed when he noticed her smirk get wider the more pain he experienced. He knew it'd barely been a few minutes that they'd been battling each other, but it felt like hours for him since this was one fight he wasn't enjoying – at all.

Sayah suddenly used her hold on his fists to quickly pull him close to her, placing her lips at his ear like she'd similarly done earlier that day. "I know you can do better than that…" She whispered, stunning him briefly but long enough to raise her leg and give him a surprise, brutal kick to the gut. She let his fists go when he doubled over, watching him spit some blood out into the atmosphere and managing to growl before looking up at her.

"Damnit Sayah, I don't want to hurt you!" He snarled lowly at her so only they could hear, not sure whether he was angrier at her for hitting him, or himself for letting it happen. He straightened back up and used his thumb to wipe a few beads of blood from his lip, never removing his narrowed gaze from her, just incase she wanted to try something like that again.

Sayah's smirk dissipated into a deep scowl, and she matched his narrowed eyes with her own, moving both her hands to rest on either side of her body. She then turned her right hand so the inside faced Cell, spreading her fingers to allow a small ki ball to form in the middle of her palm, which grew rapidly into a beachball-sized sphere fueled with her rage and energy. "You already hurt me…" She hissed, slowly lowering herself into an attack position again and holding the orb up next to her, "…when you _killed_ my brother." She lunged at him again, attempting to force the orb into his chest but glaring at Cell when he used and held his hands out to stop it, trying almost futilely to meet her gaze.

"Enough of this!" Cell yelled at her, trying to think of ways to get her to change back, "16 attempted to kill me, I couldn't let that go!" He tried to justify himself to her knowing he didn't have to, but she just pressed harder and put more energy into trying to push the ball into him. "You would've done the same!" He yelled as their eyes finally met, now angry at the fact that she wasn't listening to him, but stilled when he felt her stop pushing against him, although she hadn't moved her hands off the orb just yet.

Sayah stared at him with a disgusted look on her face, pausing long enough to respond. "I would never hurt my own brother…why do you think I have this strength so suddenly?" She snarled back, "His father, _our_ father instilled a very well hidden ability within me that immediately activates when 16 is severely injured or _killed_ ," She continued, holding back tears at the fresh memory of his demise, "No matter where he is in the world or _universe_ , I can detect him and his enemy, and my power instantly multiplies to over twice that of his foe. My commands are simple – eliminate the threat, no matter _who_ it is, and bring 16 back to the lab for reconstruction," She began to continue pushing the ki ball back into Cell's body, but not as hard as she could – she wanted him to hear this last part. "I remember nothing when I'm done. My father didn't want his little girl tainted by the thought that she'd killed someone, which is why my currently dormant self has no idea that this capability even exists within her. So don't worry, she'll have no memory of the pleasure I took in slaughtering _you_." As she finished, she put most of her power behind her thrust, and the two began descending rapidly towards one of the remaining boulders nearby. When they were about to hit, she skidded to a halt mid-air and smirked when she saw the ball shoving Cell's body deep into the rock surface, flying upwards enough to clear herself from the huge explosion that it made, ignoring the looks she felt on her from the few people still conscious around her, even the Jrs.

She put one hand on her hip and frowned when she didn't see Cell emerge from the blast, narrowing her eyelids suspiciously and trying to search for his energy down below. She couldn't detect it at all and began to search the surrounding area with her eyes, knowing that Cell must be hiding his energy because he wouldn't have possibly died from that blast. She didn't even realize he'd snuck up behind her until it was too late, and she cursed at him, trying to struggle out of the hold he now had her in.

Cell had gotten a few cuts and bruises from the attack, promptly realizing he definitely needed to take her seriously. He appeared behind her and used his arms to grab her own, holding her tight to him and ignoring the foul names she called him long enough to yell back at her. "How do I get Sayah back? Tell me!" He screamed, feeling as she got still long enough to answer him.

"A life for a life, Cell. You must _die_." She used her words to distract him before she suddenly flew backwards into another boulder, using him as a shield. She felt him barely let go after the two struck the rock, and they left a deep, cave-like hole in the side where they'd hit. She coughed a few times after the dust began to settle, and she felt something warm and smooth yet tough beneath her, unsure of what it was until he spoke.

"If you wanted to be on top of me you could've just said so." Cell spoke coolly, a smirk on his lips when he felt her suddenly lift her head from where it'd been laying near his neck and stare straight at his face.

Sayah tried to hide her blush in the dimly-lit hole they were both in, and was about to hurriedly fly out of the hole when he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her close, making it extremely difficult to get out of his grasp.

"Give me _my_ Sayah back." He purred lowly, almost menacingly, as the two stared face-to-face into each other's eyes, their noses almost touching. He got an idea, remembering the times he'd had her pinned against him in a passionate moment, and he was about to act on it when he saw it – her currently golden eyes had flashed green.

Sayah felt a yearning inside of her when he spoke, her body wanting to respond to his voice and touch, her feelings for him causing her eyes to flicker green very briefly. She knew Cell had noticed when he smirked and began to lean his head forward, and she growled and formed two ki balls, one in each hand, and pressed them into the rock on each side of him, using the force to propel herself back and out of the hole. She flew upwards and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself as her eyes fixed on Cell's emerging form and she held her hand out toward him, blasting him with the small yellow spheres that emerged from her palm. _"I need to keep him away from me,"_ She thought, stopping her barrage not long after and trying to feel for his energy.

* * *

She played this game of keep-away with him for a while, knowing that he was getting very irritated at the fact she wouldn't let him near her. She was starting to get tired of using up all this energy, and she thought hard about why she hadn't been able to kill him yet when realization struck her. _"Shit, it seems the power level I copied isn't his max…even my doubled and augmented power isn't anywhere near his limit."_ She felt a wave of dread go down her spine as her mind wrapped around this fact, and she finally used more ki balls to distract him from where she disappeared to hide behind a boulder, using one of its flat sections to stand and press herself against it, hiding her energy. She closed her eyes and reclined her head back against the hard rock, her chest heaving up and down as she thanked the stars for whoever had taken a seemingly square-looking chunk out of this boulder, giving her a perfect place to hide. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard his deep, smooth accented voice speaking to her, and she forced herself to open her eyes and look at him, not moving her head as he stood only a few feet away from her, smirking like a cat who'd just caught his mouse.

"I see you've realized you can't defeat me," Cell spoke calmly, approaching her slowly, "I don't plan on harming you, but I _will_ do whatever necessary to get her back." He added sternly, now standing directly in front of her and smirking at the way she glared at him through her lowered lids.

Sayah straightened her head to look at him, curling her fingers into fists at her sides. "Stop trying to confuse me with your ridiculous emotions!" She yelled, trying to land a punch on him and then another when he caught her wrists. She struggled and squirmed when he held them above her head and then pinned her between the rock and his body, causing her to gasp in surprise and blush furiously.

"This was fun, we must do it again sometime." He chuckled menacingly, noting how much her previous words sounded like ones he'd said before, and then swiftly moved to use one hand to restrain both her wrists and placed his free arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. "She's _mine_ , now give her back to me." He growled lowly, staring straight into her golden eyes before he leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against hers, watching as her eyes widened before flickering between gold and emerald, the former slowly dissipating and shifting before settling on the latter. He smirked wickedly into the kiss and closed his eyes simultaneously with her, releasing her wrists and deepening it when he felt her relax in his grasp and place her hands on his chest. He heard her moan quietly before he finally gradually pulled back, looking into her deep green eyes, admitting that he'd never been so relieved to see their beautiful color. _"If I wasn't in the middle of this tournament…"_ He thought naughtily, a mischievous smile on his lips as he looked at her.

Sayah, mystified, sluggishly glanced around her before looking back at Cell with a confused expression, trying to figure out how she'd even gotten over here. "Cell?...what happened? Is your tournam—" She wasn't able to finish before her body unexpectedly slumped in his arms and she fell forward, unconscious and completely unaware of what had just transpired.

Cell held her against his body with one arm, chuckling maliciously. "Perfect, this will be even easier than I thought. As long as I keep her unconscious while I defeat Gohan and kill his idiotic, pathetic friends, I should be able to take her with me without any need to use force…just before I completely annihilate this planet. Piece of cake." He let out a loud, sinister laugh, seeing his plan come together before picking her up bridal style, flying over to where she'd originally been standing near the edge of the precipice and setting her down. He heard Gohan exclaim something about Cell harming her, just before standing up and glancing over to see the other fighters either beat down or struggling painfully with his Jrs. He was about to say something to mock them when he heard Gohan yelling at him to come face him, feeling the young boy's energy start to skyrocket after what he'd just witnessed and what his friends were going through. "Wonderful…now _this_ should be a real fight." He laughed, referring to how his fight with Goku earlier had been all but disappointing. He flew down to where Gohan was and stood, watching the young boy's inner-and-outer struggle with glee.

Cell couldn't possibly fathom what was happening. He was perfect, he was _more_ _than perfect_ , yet still, a pathetic Saiyan child had managed to defeat him. Him! He found little comfort in knowing that Gohan couldn't have done it without the help of everyone else, especially his father Goku, and bellowed loudly as he tried to put more energy into his counterattack of their Kamehameha. He felt himself slipping, and he knew that if he didn't do something drastic, and quickly, he would definitely not make it out of this alive. He attempted to swallow his pride, vowing to seek revenge and hoping he wasn't too late just as the Kamehameha engulfed him, his last thought being of _her_ before screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I'm perfect! I won't go like this!"

* * *

" _I won't go like this!"_

Sayah gasped and sat up, reaching a hand up and placing it on her forehead, shutting her eyes briefly. Those five words kept echoing in her mind, and she wasn't sure what exactly had happened while she was unconscious, but something told her she wouldn't like what she found out. A deep, heart-wrenching fear overcame her as she began to look around, spotting only the Earth's true fighters nearby, and the reporter and cameraman with Mr. Satan in the far distance. She gulped, legs trembling as she slowly stood and looked down to where the fight had taken place, seeing nothing but the remaining rocks and dust of what had been. She looked up into the sky, searching for Cell and hoping that he'd appear and surprise her, laughing at her for being as foolish as to worry about him.

"Don't worry miss, Cell is dead. He's not coming back."

The voice startled her, and she gasped and turned suddenly, her right hand clutching the hem of her v-neck near her heart. "What…what did you say?" She asked quietly, hoping he would mistake her tone and actions for relief or confusion.

"I said, Cell is dead. You don't have to worry about him anymore, he's not coming back. Ever."

She stared at the man in front of her, faking a smile and noticing the scar on his face. She barely remembered his name to be Yamchi, Yamchu, Yemcha…or something like that. She was bad with names, which was ironic. She realized she was staring at him and shook her head, smiling nervously before apologizing. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a little stunned. What happened?"

"Oh, it's no problem miss. Sayah, right? I'm Yamcha, in case I didn't introduce myself earlier. Anyway, Gohan kicked Cell's ass. Hard. The little guy is tired but he'll make it."

She smiled slightly at him, looking over his shoulder at the boy who seemed pretty much passed out on the ground. She heard all of them talking and laughing in the distance, and she turned back to Yamcha and nodded. "I'm glad he's okay…" She trailed off, attempting to ignore the feeling in her heart that told her Cell's death wasn't true, much less real. She tried not to sound suspicious as she asked, "How are you so sure Cell's dead?"

"There's noooo way Cell survived that Kamehameha wave. The whole blast could've taken out Earth itself. He would've had to have a miracle to live, but I doubt that."

She nodded slightly, trying not to tear up as she looked back over to where the battle had taken place. She bit her lip and looked at the scattered pieces of debris, some of which were parts from Android 16. As if reading her mind, Yamcha spoke up again.

"I'm sorry about Andr—I mean, your brother…can I take you home?"

She was quick to note the hopeful sound in his voice, and what she really wanted to do was shove her foot so far up his ass he could taste it, but she held her composure and didn't look at him when she spoke. "No, thank you. But I'd appreciate it if you'd take me down there." She nodded to the battleground, hearing him say a sad 'sure,' and he wrapped one arm around her waist before flying her down to where all of the action had taken place, reluctantly letting her go.

"Are you sure I can't take you home? It wouldn't be a bother, really."

"No." She said it more sternly than she meant to, and that was enough for him to get the hint. Before he was out of earshot she added a quiet, "Thank you, though," and heard him fly over to his friends, who were coincidentally directly above where she now stood. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling a few tears trickle down her face but managing to keep herself together for now – she didn't want any of them trying to make her feel better, especially when they had no idea that 16 hadn't been the only one she'd lost that day.

She kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath, setting her arms back at her sides before whispering, "16…where are you, my brother?" As if guided by a magic string, she opened her eyes and followed what she could only call intuition, working through the now-scrap metal that used to be her sibling. She didn't stop walking until something told her to stop, and she looked to the ground to see what she almost couldn't believe she'd been able to find – a motherboard. "Oh my god, 16!" She fell to her knees and gently picked up the piece with her hands, looking at it and crying joyfully when she saw it was intact. "I know you can't hear me, but I will fix you. Even if it takes me my entire life, I will bring you back, I promise." She whispered, smiling and tenderly pressing the part against her heart. She moved it away for a moment just in time to hear the men fly off into the distance, letting out a sigh of what she could best call relief when they were gone.

She spent a while trying to find any usable parts she could, ignoring the tears flowing freely down her face the entire time. When she got the last of them, the sun was beginning to set and she made her way over to where she'd hid her duffel bag, finding an empty pocket to place all of the parts into except the motherboard. She grabbed one of her shirts and delicately wrapped it around the part, placing it back in the main section of the duffel bag before placing another shirt over it just in case it tried to move around. She pulled her capsule case out of a different pocket and picked out one of her cars, a black mid-size SUV, tossing the capsule into the air after pressing it. The car appeared before her instantly, and she placed the case back into the bag before zipping it closed and moving to place it into the passenger's seat just before she closed the door. She stepped into the driver's side and closed the door after her, latching her seatbelt before turning the car on by pressing the button. She placed her hands on the steering wheel and hesitated before looking up into the rearview mirror, trying not to meet her own gaze as she ensured it was in the right spot. She looked over at the spot the tournament ring had stood, blinking tears away and telling herself that she had to keep it together, at least until she got home.

Her entire drive home she ignored the speed limit and went at least 10 miles over, somehow avoiding being stopped by police, but then remembering that they might be more preoccupied keeping the public 'safe' because of the Cell Games. As soon as she thought that tears began streaming down her face again, and her whole body trembled with the weight of what she'd been told was the truth. Her mind, body, and soul agreed with her heart in telling her that he was alive, but she couldn't see how whenever all the other guys had gotten together to help out the young boy named Gohan, not to mention they'd been there and awake to see it with their own eyes. As she debated this with herself, she was able to pull into the front of her house and sighed, shutting the car off before sluggishly reaching for the duffel bag. She grabbed it and pulled it out with her once she'd stepped out of the car, slinging it over her shoulder and pressing the button to make her car a capsule again. She held it in her hand briefly as she looked up at her balcony, half of her expecting to see Cell standing there, laughing at her for worrying about him. She clutched the small capsule tight in her hand before hurrying inside, slamming the door closed behind her and setting the duffel bag down next to her, just before pressing her back against the door, her sobs growing louder now that she was in the comfort of her own home.

She didn't even realize she'd slid down the length of the door until she felt the soft white carpet beneath her fingers. Her whole body trembled as she drew her legs up so that her knees were almost to her chest, and she set her elbows on her knees, using her hands to cradle her head as she clutched it, staring at the ground. Tears were coming down like waterfalls from her eyes, and as much as she wanted or tried to stop, she couldn't. Her sobs made soft echoes through the large house, and after a while she'd moved so her head rested back against the door, although she remained sitting on the floor. She rested her arms on her knees, her tears trailing further down her neck and even all the way down to her breasts, most of them getting absorbed by the fabric of her shirt or bra. She knew she looked like shit but she didn't quite care at the moment, especially with the way she was feeling. She sat that way for a moment before her sadness briefly turned to anger, and she opened her eyes to look at the ceiling.

"CELL! You BASTARD! You weren't supposed…to die…" She'd yelled until the last few words, when her energy was rapidly zapped from her and she whispered instead, moving her head to place her hands on her face. If her heart was right and Cell was still out there, she sure as hell hoped he could hear her. She didn't want to hold on to the hope, however, in case he really was dead and wouldn't ever return. "I can bring 16 back with my own hands, but you…damnit, Cell! You ASSHOLE!" She screamed the last part through her hands, and only moved them long enough to help her lay down on her side, curling into what almost seemed like the fetal position. She didn't really care that she was on the floor, especially since right now she felt like the shit under someone's shoe, and deep down she knew she'd be feeling that way for a while. She held herself in this position for a while, eventually crying herself to sleep on the ground, directly in front of her front door – the same door that Cell had torn down when they first met, and even fixed before he'd brought her back home.


	14. Isn't Life Funny?

Chapter 14

 **A/N: Oh my gosh, thanks to all of you who reviewed! It made my day(s)! It seems that most of you want me to keep adding chapters to this story, so I will do just that! :) Ask and you shall receive!**

 **This chapter is a little longer than the usual, but I don't think you guys will mind. I couldn't go to sleep until I posted it, and now that I have I may just go ahead and start the next one, LOL. Hopefully where I'm headed isn't _too cliche_ , but if it seems that way, I'll do my best to make it as un-cliche-like as possible, I pinkie promise!**

 **It has some song lyrics again, but they'll make sense the further you read into that part of the chapter. I hope you all like it - I'd love to hear what you guys think!**

 **Choco truffles to my reviewers!~**

 **Zerousy: LOL you crack me up so much! Funny you mention that, cause I was the same (besides also being 9 in '99), and I always thought he was odd and too nice for an android, but when I started developing my idea for this story, I thought he'd be perfect as a brother. I'm so glad you like them as siblings! I think you'll like this chapter, and it'll get better as Sayah continues with her plan to rebuild him! Don't be surprised if you see him sooner than you think! :)**

 **Interest (at least that's the name gives, lol): Hehe, all I can tell you is that you're on the right track. ;) Although that probably gives it away, huh? LOL. There's a sprinkle of hint towards the end of this chapter, and will grow (no pun intended) in the next one. BTW, your review made me totally LOL, and I don't think you sounded like an idiot at all! To be honest, that is probably EXACTLY how I would've put it if I'd been reviewing XD**

 **Kara47: Hehe, patience is a virtue, right? So not true, I agree! Him being gone is making Sayah really, really sad, but she'll find ways to cheer up and occupy her time for now. But I think you'll definitely enjoy the chapters coming up!**

 **Guest (#1): Thank you so much for reviewing and your input! Gave me a big smile! :D**

 **Guest (#2): Like I mentioned above - ask and you shall receive! I'll be happy to keep adding chapters to this story - plus, it's just getting good all over again! :)**

* * *

Sayah awoke to the rays of sun bathing her through the nearby living room window. She groaned and used both hands to push herself up to sit, sighing and feeling the aches on her body from sleeping on the floor. She reached up with one hand and rubbed the side of her neck, mentally cursing herself for being so dumb as to let herself fall asleep there, and finally opened her eyes to look around. She spotted the duffel bag next to her and smiled sadly, slowly lifting herself off the ground and unzipping the bag before putting the strap around her shoulder, walking towards the back of her home.

She hardly even felt herself moving as she placed the salvaged parts on the work table in her office, and she almost didn't register her Capsule Corp. nametag missing from its usual spot, although she currently didn't really care what had happened to it. She glanced over at her work laptop and pursed her lips to the side, making a mental note to check her email later when she felt like it, before turning back out of the room and toward the stairs.

She barely made it up the steps and into her room, sloughing the bag off her shoulder and letting it land wherever on the floor. She then stepped into her bathroom, noticing her reflection in the mirror and how pathetic and shitty she looked, causing her to grab a towel close by and drape it over said mirror, smiling triumphantly when she was done. She walked over to the shower, turning it on to her usual desired temperature and letting it run while she undressed, tossing her dirty clothes in the nearby hamper. She glanced over at the radio she kept in there and leaned over to turn it on, raising the volume up a bit but not paying too much attention to it, somewhat listening to the end of the song she'd tuned into. As she stepped into the misty warmth of the shower, she tried to shove the intimate memory of her and Cell in that very same bathroom, shaking her head furiously before she finally stopped just to notice a few small cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, some of them with dirt and dust embedded in the wound.

 _Time can never mend  
The careless whispers of a good friend  
To the heart and mind  
Ignorance is kind  
There's no comfort in the truth  
Pain is all you'll find_

"What the hell? How'd I get these?" She muttered, shrugging dismissively before reaching a hand out to check the temperature of the water. Although it was her usual choice, she decided to turn it up a bit, causing a bit more steam to form inside the bathroom almost sauna-like, some of it escaping into her bedroom and the rest of the home.

 _I'm never going to dance again  
These guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool  
I should have known better than to cheat a friend  
A wasted chance that I've been given  
So I'm never going to dance again...  
The way I danced with you_

She let out a quiet, gratified hum as she stepped under the falling water coming from her large, round showerhead. She waited a few more seconds before inclining her head towards the floor and letting all her hair get wet, closing her eyes and simply standing there, enjoying the way the warm water tenderly rolled down her tired, aching frame. Normally she would've been in and out in a few minutes, but this time she wanted to take as long as she felt her body, and truthfully even her mind, needed.

 _Tonight the music seems so loud  
I wish that we could lose this crowd  
Maybe it's better this way  
We've hurt each other with the things we want to say  
We could have been so good together  
We could have lived this dance forever  
Now who's going to dance with me?_

Please stay…

As the music filled the bathroom with the last remaining words of that song, Sayah turned around and let out a content sigh, leaning her head back so the water would run down her long tresses, as well as ripple down her face and the rest of her figure. She reached over for the shampoo bottle and opened it, squeezing enough into her palm for her hair before replacing the bottle and scrubbing the shampoo into her scalp using her fingertips.

 _There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface  
Consuming confusing  
This lack of self-control I fear is never ending  
Controlling I can't seem_

As she leaned back again to rinse the shampoo out of her hair, she'd come to notice that there were only snippets of the songs that she was actually listening to, and it appeared to her someone at the radio station was feeling particularly glum as well, because all of the songs she'd paid said slight attention to she seemed to connect with how she was currently feeling.

 _To find myself again  
My walls are closing in  
(without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)  
I've felt this way before  
So insecure_

She bit her lip slightly and sighed, reaching over for the conditioner and squeezing some into her palm. Instead of her roots, she rubbed it into the ends of her hair, ignoring her scalp. She ran her hands under the water to remove the residue, and then quickly reached for a bottle containing a face scrub, taking some of it before rubbing it gently over her face.

 _Crawling in my skin  
These wounds they will not heal  
Fear is how I fall  
Confusing what is real…_

She reached over and grabbed a loofah, using a body wash to drench it in soap. She placed it under the water for an instant, just before squeezing it with her hands and making it foam. She began to tediously rub it over her body, wincing every so often when she hit a newly acquired cut or bruise.

 _I don't know who to trust no surprise  
(Everyone feels so far away from me)  
Heavy thoughts sift through dust and the lies_

As she continued to almost intuitively clean her body with the loofah, her mind finally drifted to a thought not completely plagued by Cell. _"Let's see…now how will I rebuild 16? Thankfully I can retain his memories with the motherboard I found, but I need his blueprints to perfectly repair – more like reconstruct – his entire body…"_

 _Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit  
Every time I try to make myself get back upon my feet  
All I ever think about is this  
All the tiring time between  
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me_

She moved from her arms to her torso, pursing her lips to the side as she pondered the idea. She knew she wanted to bring 16 back to how he'd been before, with the same memories and personality, as well as the same body and internal circuitry. _"Maybe I can go back to Dr. Gero's lab and find his blueprints,"_ She thought, moving down to scrub her legs. As much as she'd vowed never to return to that place willingly, she would easily do it in a heartbeat if it meant bringing back her brother. She knew she could get over her fear and aversion of that place just for him – he deserved, and she owed him, that much at the very least. Although her memories of him were short and scattered throughout her conscious, she knew that he was one of the main reasons she'd survived living in Dr. Gero's lab, instead of going criminally insane. The love and respect she had for him ran deep, and even if she regained all her memories someday, she knew that would never, ever change.

 _Take everything from the inside  
And throw it all away  
'Cause I swear for the last time  
I won't trust myself with you…_

She rinsed the bubbles of soap off her body when she was finally done, grabbing her razor just as her mind wandered to another option. She quickly recalled when the short bald guy, whose name she kind of remembered and thought might be Krillin, told her brother that Bulma – or as they called her at work, Ms. Dr. Briefs – had removed the bomb from inside him that Dr. Gero had planted, in fear that he would use it against them (well, more like Goku). She scoffed at the thought, mainly angry but definitely very bitter that someone would think so poorly of him, especially when he'd deemed them his friends. _"Perhaps if he'd known he wouldn't have…sacrificed himself…"_ She thought, ignoring the tears mixing with water and taking a deep breath, just before she shook her head and returned her brain to her original thought, which caused a wide smile to spread across her previously dejected face. That's right! If Bulma had worked on him, she _had_ to have copies of the paper and digital blueprints she'd made of him in order to do so successfully!

 _Whoa I'll never give in  
Whoa I'll never give up  
Whoa I'll never give in  
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved_

Just as she began to feel a gleam of happiness for her eureka moment, her ears were filled with an all-too-familiar beat, which turned into a song that she hoped she would never have to hear again, simply because of the painful, yet wonderful, memory associated with it.

 _Whoa I'll never give in  
Whoa I'll never give up  
Whoa I'll never give in  
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved_

"Shit," She cursed lowly, her mind crashing back to reality when she felt the familiar stick of accidentally cutting herself. Her hand reflexively dropped the razor and let it clatter to the ground, her body now unmoving as she simply stared blankly at the cut on her leg, watching the beads of blood merging with the shower's water drops.

 _I want domination  
I want your submission  
I see you're not resisting  
To this temptation_

Hesitantly, after a minute she reached over to grab the razor she'd dropped, straightening up from the bent down position she'd been in, and placing it back on the shower caddy attached to the wall. Her figure stood as still as a statue under the running water, her eyes closed tight and fists clenched in both anger and despair, the large showerhead above her adamant to drizzle, which currently fell more like pummel, her with clear liquid beads. She couldn't tune out the music, and as her mind unwittingly raced to recall the memories she and Cell made merely a couple nights ago under the waterfall, her heart seemed to beat to the melody as if under a spell.

 _I've got one confession  
A love deprivation  
I've got a jet black heart  
It's all fucked up and it's falling apart_

Without realizing she was even moving, her body placed itself with her back against the wall, narrowly stepping out from under the warmth of the cascading water nearby. To her it seemed like an out of body experience, because next thing she knew she'd slid down the wall's entire length and was now in a sitting position on the shower's floor, legs curled up so her knees were close to her chest.

 _I've got another confession  
I fell to temptation  
And there is no question  
There was some connection_

She didn't realize she was crying until she felt something wet on her barely-damp cheek, and when she touched it with her fingertip, it was as if the last drop in the teeming bucket had fallen in. Her entire figure began to shiver vigorously, and her hands trembled whilst she slowly moved them to her head, sliding her fingers into her hair. She curled her fingers around her locks as if she was going to pull them out, but instead she just sat there, sobbing so hard she had barely any time to catch her breath.

 _I've got to follow my heart  
No matter how far  
I've gotta roll the dice  
Never look back and never think twice…_

After the song had ended, she'd sat there so long in the same position that the hot water had run out and turned bitterly cold. Her body was shaking even worse now, and she tried to ignore the once-pleasant, now bittersweet memories ghosting her psyche as she attempted to get up but failing miserably instead, landing forward on her hands and knees. She ignored the freezing cold liquid drumming at her back and curled her hands into fists, shutting her eyes so tight she thought she'd be seeing spots for months.

"I shouldn't be like this…this is all your fault, Cell," She muttered angrily, her temper suddenly flaring and giving her enough of a push to stand and turn the shower nozzle off, grabbing a nearby towel without a second thought. Her fingertips looked like raisins when she glanced at them, but she didn't think too much on it since she wanted to get out of the shower, ASAP. When she finally did, after wrapping a separate towel around her long hair, she stepped out and slammed the radio's OFF button hard, almost breaking the entire device. She didn't bother looking when it teetered on the edge of the counter and then fell to the floor, making a loud crashing sound against the smooth tile in her bathroom. "I'll fix it later," She told herself aloud, walking to find a comfortable set of pajamas to wear to bed, "If I don't smash it to pieces first."

* * *

It'd been over a week since the end of the tournament, and Sayah had spent most of it a) lying on her couch under a blanket, staring into space, b) trying to get into contact with Ms. Dr. Briefs, who was apparently 'very, very busy,' and c) eating instant ramen noodles or whatever other quick meal she could find, all in her pajamas. She had to be honest – she _loved_ to cook, but the recent turn of events had made that hobby seem entirely unsatisfying and like too much work. Besides, who was she cooking for if not just herself? She just deemed it too much of a bother to deal with at the moment.

She'd spent most of that week trying to escape the painful memories that plagued her, and there had been various times that the ache deep in her heart had just felt like too much to bear. She didn't want to end her life, no, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought of drowning her sorrows away, and been eyeing the full bottle of Moscato wine happily cradled in her refrigerator door. She'd completely forgotten about it and the open bottle of Rosé that she'd started before all this shit happened, and it took but one horrifically flashing image of Cell crushing her brother's head under his foot to make her grab it out of the fridge lacking an instant's pause. She opened a cupboard nearby and grabbed a wine glass, telling herself she at least wanted to feel fancy while she imbibed, and held the glass between her fingers. She poured some of the wine in, watching the translucent, pink liquid fill the container and she smiled, filling it to about 3/4ths full. She placed the stopper back into the bottle and then put it back into the fridge, just before picking up the glass and standing next to the kitchen island inside her home. She lifted it to her nose, taking in the smell and closing her eyes, thoroughly knowing it wouldn't taste _that_ great after being 'sort of' open in the fridge for a week, but shrugging it off. That wine bottle had been expensive, damnit.

Her body kept telling her 'No, don't do it,' but she didn't care. Although something deep within her told her that this was so, so wrong – albeit truthfully not knowing why, – when she imagined the cold, bubbly liquid trickling down her throat she absolutely decided otherwise. She licked her lips thirstily, and without waiting another second brought the cold glass up to her mouth.

What ultimately stopped her from taking that first sip was the somewhat familiar sound of something scraping at her door. She froze just as she'd begun to tilt the glass, and her eyes darted to the side, staring at the main door of her home suspiciously. Memories of the last person who'd rapped on her door began to plague her, and she set the wine glass down on the counter a little more forcefully than she meant to, thanking Kami that it hadn't shattered to pieces. When she heard the noise again her eyebrows quirked, and she conceded that this wasn't the sound of someone knocking on her door – it was more of someone _scratching_ on her door.

In an instant she was in front of the entrance and opened it, blankly staring into the empty darkness in front of her. She heard a soft whine near her feet and immediately looked down at its originator, her eyes softening at once, and she fell to her knees, gasping when she got a good look at exactly what was at her door. In front of her stood a medium-sized dog, obviously famished, with a kitten in its mouth held by the scruff. The kitten looked like it was barely breathing, it being blatantly malnourished as well, and clearly very young, probably about 8 weeks old. She didn't think twice before carefully scooping both of them into her arms, bringing them inside and closing the door with her foot behind her. The dog had some bruises and scars on various parts of its body, even though it looked scarcely a year or two old.

"I bet you both have a crazy story, hmm?" She uttered softly, being extra careful not to move them too much as she set them down on one side of her comfortable couch. She reached for a blanket and fluffed it up on top of said couch, gently moving them over to it so they would be warmer and more comfortable, haphazardly noticing their gender when she did so. She kneeled next to the couch to be close to eye-level with them, and she tenderly ran her thumbs across each one's head before whispering. "Now you stay here, and I'll make you some food, okay? Bear with me, I'm going to bring you both some water first."

She did as she told them and went and grabbed some small bowls, filling them with filtered water. She returned and set the water on the ground next to the couch, walking over to one of her ottomans and pushing it up against the couch, near the two. She then placed the bowls on top of its flat yet cushioned surface, giving the two small animals a smile before walking back into the kitchen and digging through her pots and pans. "Now what was it that 16 told me to feed dogs and kittens…" She mumbled, grabbing a frying pan and a pot, filling the latter with water and putting it to boil. While it did so, she rummaged in her fridge for some fish and some rabbit, as well as some vegetables she could easily cut up and cook. She did so without much effort – she'd learned the basics on her own at home, and when she realized she liked it, she'd taken some classes after work in the city. Because of this, she seemed to waltz around the kitchen like a pro, adding a dash of salt there and a drop more of oil here, every so often peeking her head out from behind the wall separating the two rooms to check on her new guests. She had yet to realize that part of the reason why she was a good cook was from her 'previous' life, before Dr. Gero; although she'd also carried those traits over from then as well, since she did cook for him every day while at the lab. Little did she know, 16 had also tried her food, and even though he obviously needed no sustenance, especially of that kind, to stay alive, he'd wanted to try it simply because he'd said it looked good. 16 hadn't even realized he had a palate (much less that Dr. Gero had actually given him one) before she introduced it to him, and he hadn't missed a 'feast,' as he called it, since – at least not while he was out of his pod.

As she finished the meal, she used a fork and knife to fluff out the fish and cut it into smaller pieces, knowing that the kitten would probably not be able to eat large chunks in his condition. She grabbed some of the vegetables and mashed them a little with her fork, ensuring the consistency was soft enough for the little one. The dog she didn't have to worry too much about with food – she could tell she was big enough to eat normally, but she still cut the meat up into smaller pieces so she didn't have to exert much energy chewing, especially in her current state.

She left the plates on the island's counter and walked back into the living room, grabbing yet another blanket (she had a host of them folded over the back of her couch) and fluffing it up on the rug on top of the floor this time. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed a placemat, setting it under her arm, and the two saucers of food, humming pleasantly as she held them both with one hand and set the placemat down, just before landing the two small plates on top of it. She then grabbed the water off the ottoman and placed them next to the food plates, finally moving to the couch and picking up the dog gently. "It's okay honey, I know you're tired. Let me help you," She whispered lovingly before setting her down on one side of the blanket, and watching as the dog immediately became interested in the food. She grinned triumphantly before looking back to the small kitten, being even more careful to pick him up than his companion, and set him down on the other side of the blanket, near his food. The kitten struggled to even walk towards the food, and she immediately laid down on the floor next to him, using one of the forks she'd grabbed from the kitchen to pick up a piece of fish. "Here sweetie, try this."

She'd laid on the rug next to them the entire time they ate, helping the small kitten eat and happily watching as they devoured the food. As she'd done so, she'd been thinking of what to name them, especially because she knew she couldn't, nor wouldn't, let them go back out in this condition. When they finished, the animals both yawned and looked back at the couch, and although the dog could jump onto it since she was big enough, she wouldn't leave the kitten's side. Sayah grinned at this and rubbed the dog's forehead, scooping the kitten up into her arms again and placing him on the couch. She then looked at the dog and walked over, picking her up gently. "I know you can jump onto there but I want you to be careful right now, okay?" She spoke quietly, pretending the dog could understand her before setting her down. Both of the animals curled up on the blanket near each other, and as they watched her sleepily, she picked up the plates and headed to the kitchen. As she was placing the plates in the dishwasher, she spotted the still-full wine glass out of the corner of her eye, letting out a sigh when she moved to stand in front of it. She picked it up to her eye level, as if she was about to make a toast, and stared at the sparkly liquid inside, pursing her lips to the side. Without another moment's hesitation, she immediately spun around to face the sink, and turned the glass upside-down so the liquid would go down the drain.

When she finished she went to a closet in her living room and grabbed out a folding stool from it, as well as a comforter and thicker blanket. She placed the set of sheets next to the couch before opening the stool and setting it down in front of it, moving to the downstairs bathroom nearby. She grabbed a large first aid kit out of one of the cabinets, and set it on the ottoman next to her once she'd sat on the stool.

"I know you're sleepy, so just ignore me while I clean these wounds up. You'll get a nice bath tomorrow when you feel better, okay?" She smiled at them both, and as she began to take care of the dog's more serious wounds, she hummed softly to help them stay calm. "Now, I think I'm going to have to name you Saki," She uttered, looking at the currently brown-ish (although she guessed her true color was white), dirty female dog who was now laying sprawled-out on her side, "Because you really are a blossom of hope. You saved both of your lives, and have given me something real to help me move forward." As she continued, she moved her eyes to the small, almost black-colored (although she could tell he was dark brown, almost grey, and had tiger-looking stripes throughout his body) kitten, and watched his chest move up and down more strongly than before. "Now you I'm gonna name Kenta, because although you're small now, you're going to grow up and be strong and healthy in no time," she winked at the kitten who was now fast asleep, "Now that I've named you, you _must_ live _._ I know someone you'll both love to meet…and 16 will be so excited to see you both when he's back."

* * *

"I'm pretty sure the directions she gave us said to take a left."

The man gave an exasperated sigh before slowing the car to a stop. "Everything looks the same around here, it's all trees. The road is more like a barely-seeable path covered in dirt and rocks," He paused, gripping the steering wheel tightly before pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, "I can't even tell if we're going the right way."

The woman looked at him with tired, fairly-baggy eyes before turning her head to look out the window. "I know," she paused, suddenly feeling his gaze on her but not moving a muscle before continuing, "But we're close, I just know it. We've been driving for over two hours…and although we took a few wrong turns, I can feel her nearby. I really can."

The man stared at her for a minute, taciturn as a few thoughts passed through his brain, just before turning to stare at the insignia on the steering wheel. Without saying another word, he returned his eyes to the road and moved his foot to the accelerator, mind wandering as the two continued in silence.

* * *

"Saki! Kenta! Breakfast!" Sayah almost sing-song like called out, grinning when she heard the heartwarming sound of a tiny bell and tags on a collar heading her way. It'd been three months since the tournament ended, and she felt much better emotionally since having the pair around in her home, both of whom had never really left her side, or at most, the area around their abode. She let them wander around the immediate vicinity of the house a few times a day, always keeping a close eye on Kenta to make sure he didn't cause any mischief or get himself into trouble by wandering too far, although if he happened to step outside her comfort zone, he tended to come back almost instantly – he was too attached to her and Saki as mother figures to meander very much.

As the three of them ate their breakfast, Sayah at the dinner table, Kenta nearby on top of a foldable table, and Saki under the fold-out table, she watched them with a smile and finished her meal. She rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher, glancing over at the pair and laughing when they sat obediently next to their own plates, waiting for their reward. "Oh okay, you're waiting for me," Sayah spoke up, giving them a wink before grabbing the two dishes that now looked almost spotless from having been licked clean. She set them in the washer before walking over to a set of ceramic jars, one that said 'Meow' and the other that stated 'Woof.' She grabbed some treats out of each of them and placed them on the soft mats that she normally placed the food bowls on, each respective one in front of either Saki or Kenta. When they were done, she walked towards her office, hearing the two exiting the home through the doggy door that she'd installed on the main entrance to her home.

When she walked into her office, a large TV immediately turned on and gave her a clear view of the outside, a small green dot appearing on top of each of the pets strolling around outside. She could hear the birds chirping through the TV's speakers, and she laughed when she watched Kenta sneaking up on Saki and pouncing on her. When the two began to chase each other around the perimeter of the house, the screen switched between cameras to ensure that there was an eye on them at all times, and as they split and took off in two separate directions, the screen also split into two views, each of which followed either of her companions and cycled through cameras again to always keep an eye on them.

She smiled and shook her head before walking over to her work table, staring at the almost-finished android leg resting on it inside a plexiglass box, which had holes big enough for her arms around the entire perimeter of the casing, all covered by removable pieces of the same material. She stretched her back and arms quickly before walking over to a sizeable standing toolbox nestled against a wall, picking up the set of instruments she'd need, just before walking back to the container and removing the material covering two of the holes she'd place her arms into, resuming her work. She already had both his arms and his other leg done – if she kept up this pace, 16 would be done in a couple to three more months, tops.

As she continued her diligent labor, she kept an ear open for any of the alert sounds she'd installed into her home security which would indicate danger for her two pets, that they'd started to wander too far, or anything of that sort. Another large touchscreen monitor was placed on the wall opposite the table she was working at, which had a zoomed-in view of 16's blueprints, the currently-open one being of his legs. She inwardly thanked Bulma for responding so quickly to her after she'd found out who she was and what she wanted, realizing that Sayah was the girl she'd seen on TV next to Android 16. Sayah didn't go into too much detail describing their relationship or her past, simply choosing to explain that she was 16's sister and wanted to bring him back online.

As she'd spoken with Bulma those months ago, she could tell she felt horrible about not trusting 16 and removing the bomb which would've spared her the meticulous work she'd done and still continued to do on his head. She'd explained (although she guessed she herself only knew this in the past and the knowledge had carried over) that when 16 used that bomb to self-destruct his head would immediately detach as the explosion began, and it would use the force of said explosion to propel it far away where it would be safe – Sayah had been entrusted with retrieving his head if this ever happened.

Bulma had instructed Sayah to take however long she needed to reconstruct 16, and had also told her that she'd pay her to do so as well as increase her salary. Bulma had also stopped by and dropped boxes of brand-new parts at Sayah's home (Sayah could only guess that she'd gotten her address from her file), telling her to inform her if she ever needed a new part or parts, or if she was running low on the ones she'd been given. And finally, Bulma had said, nay, _ordered_ that she'd pay for any expenses related to reconstructing 16, and had offered for Sayah to come in to the office once she had everything ready for him to be put together. 16 had been so tall that Sayah knew she wouldn't have enough space on her work table to fully construct him, so she was glad when her boss told her this, since she'd been trying to figure something out herself.

Just as she was about to finish putting the last internal pieces into 16's leg, she heard Saki and Kenta come back inside to take a few drinks of water from their drinking fountain, shortly before trotting into her office. Both of them strolled towards the large, cuddly pet bed near the door that she'd bought, Saki curling up into a donut shape on top of it and Kenta taking a leap into the pet basket above the bed, curling up atop the soft and warm pillow inside of it. Sayah had learned that the two didn't like to be too far apart, so when she'd set the doggie bed next to the 'hovering' basket, Saki had grabbed the bed with her teeth and pulled it so it was directly under the basket, not caring that she'd laid it on top of the legs that connected to the wooden 'arm' that held the attached basket in place. The bed was so plush that Saki wasn't even able to feel the wooden legs under it, and if she did, she didn't seem to mind at all.

Sayah finished the entire leg, inside and out, some hours later, glancing at the clock on the wall and realizing that it was a couple of hours past noon. She stretched again after removing her arms from the enclosed case and placed the fiberglass coverings back over the holes, rubbing her neck. She looked at the sleeping duo in their beds and smiled, walking over to them and crouching next to them, rubbing their foreheads with her thumbs. As the pair looked up at her sleepily, her smile widened and she whispered, "It's time for lunch. I'll make us some and then it's back to work for me, and sleep for you, okay?" She winked at them and stood up, hearing their quiet footsteps behind her as she headed to the kitchen. The two headed to the couch and jumped onto it, curling up on the blanket she'd already laid out for them from that morning.

She'd begun to grab some cookware out from her cabinets when she heard the almost completely unfamiliar sound of her home's doorbell. She froze in place, trying to figure out who could be there, and slowly eased the cabinet door closed, hesitating before walking to the front entrance. _"That better not be the media…"_ She thought, never so happy that her house was hard to find, especially after her face had been one of the few broadcast on the news, along with the ample set of fighters she'd been seen with. Her mind fleeted to thoughts of Cell and when he'd shown at her door months ago, but she quickly shook her head and got rid of the thought, reminding herself that he wasn't even alive anymore, although she doubted he'd ring the doorbell even if he was. _"Maybe it's Mira,"_ She thought, wrapping her warm, almost sweaty hand around the doorknob, _"but…she would've called me first,"_ she reminded herself, staring into space for a moment before nervously turning the handle, gradually pulling the door open to see a man and woman standing there, looking about as shocked as she was.

Her body felt like it had literally had a hundred pounds thrown on top it, her mind racing to remember who they were, especially since they looked so familiar. As if on cue, her brain reminded her of the memory she'd had when she saw a picture of herself with a man and a woman, but whose faces she hadn't been able to distinguish. That same picture was now present in her mind, except this time she could see their faces and they were the same as the pair who stood before her, this couple whom she felt a deep and unique connection she hadn't shared with anyone else. These two people…were her parents.

Her _real_ parents.

Her eyes widened when she felt her body suddenly respond in a manner she hadn't expected it to, and as she realized what was happening, she could only think of one phrase. _"Oh no, not again…"_

She hadn't realized how fast she'd been running until she made it to the bathroom, and as she lifted the lid and seat to stoop over the porcelain throne, she shut her eyes tight as she felt what was left of her breakfast come back up and out of her mouth. Her body began to tremble, and she somewhat registered Saki rushing into the bathroom to sit next to her, followed by Kenta jumping onto her hunched back. She hadn't heard the soft footsteps enter the bathroom until she felt a warm hand rubbing the part of her back that Kenta wasn't sitting on, and she waited for her body to stop heaving before she slowly sat back on top of her legs since she'd been kneeling, ignoring the kitten that scampered up onto her head. She felt someone dapping some wrapped-up toilet paper on her mouth, and when she finally opened her eyes, she saw the woman from earlier kneeling next to her and handing her a glass of water with a smile.

"When did you—?" Sayah began, seeing as the woman pointed next to her to the man standing outside the door, pitcher of water in hand. She hadn't noticed how long she'd been in there, and although to her it felt like forever, it must've been at least a few minutes to give him time to look through her cupboards. She looked back at the woman and took the glass of water from her, slowly rising to stand and managing a feeble smile as she stepped over to the sink, in the near distance hearing the toilet flush and the seat and lid being put back down. She felt Kenta jump off her head then onto the sink and finally scurrying to Saki's side, allowing her to freely bend over the sink and rinse her mouth of that terrible taste. When she was done, she washed her hands and picked up the glass of water she'd been offered earlier, taking a few deep gulps and letting out a content sigh when she was done.

"I remembered, your mother always wanted fresh water first thing after she threw up when she was pregnant with you," The man spoke up, breaking the silence as he looked from Sayah to the woman, stepping away from the door frame to allow the two to pass. The three of them walked over to the living room and Sayah motioned towards the couch, which Saki and Kenta were now sitting on one side of, watching as they moved to stand in front of it and the empty spots, but still didn't sit.

"Yes, well…I'm not pregnant," Sayah replied with a nervous chuckle, a deep crimson blush now happily settled on her cheeks while her eyes stared at the floor, completely unaware of the woman's knowing gaze upon her. She didn't know what to say, or even where to begin to explain all that had happened to her, a pang of guilt hitting her when she realized they must think she'd been hiding from them the entire time she'd been gone. She was about to open her mouth to speak when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and she looked up just in time to see it was the woman, while the man stood a few feet away, staring at the two with tears in his eyes.

"I've missed you so much." The woman cried into her shoulder, her voice muffled by Sayah's shirt as she held her tight, "I still can't believe you're alive."

Sayah felt a wave of emotions overcome her and she returned the firm, yet warm, embrace, tears spilling down her eyes as soon as she shut them. "I'm so sorry, mom and dad," She replied, her body beginning to shake when she felt her father's arms around her as well, "I promise, I can explain everything."


	15. Twice The Shock

Chapter 15

 **A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry it took me longer to post than usual, but I think most of you will like this chapter - at least I hope so! :) I wanted to make sure to reply to reviews, but I got one recently that made me laugh and scratch my head at the same time. It was posted for CH1, but I'm guessing this person didn't read it, or any other chapters at all - they actually posted the review about the summary that I used for this story, lol. I know it's not a very good summary, but it made me wonder why someone would waste their time writing a review about a story they didn't bother to read and say that it probably lacked originality. I LOL'ed, but hey, that's their opinion...even if they never read a single word of a single chapter.**

 **Anyway, on to ACTUAL reviews! :D**

 **Kara47: I'm so glad you liked it! I knew I had to incorporate her parents at some point, and I figured what best way than her face being shown all over Earth on TV? Hehe, thanks so much for your review! :)**

 **Zerousy: I completely understand having hardly any time to read! Hopefully the suspense both climbs and gets resolved in this chapter! Things definitely get a bit more interesting, I think :) Let me know what you think, and thank you for your faithful reviews! :D**

* * *

"Where have you been?"

Sayah bit her lip and looked down at the floor, hoping it would swallow her up entirely, or at least give her an easier answer than the one she had. She was biting so hard on her lip she almost drew blood, and she finally looked up from the ottoman she was sitting on, to the two people sitting in front of her on the couch. "I was kidnapped."

"I knew it," Sayah's father muttered angrily, "That son of a bitch. It was Dr. Gero, wasn't it?"

Sayah stared at her father, eyes wide and jaw dropped. "How did you know?"

Her father looked from Sayah to her mother, a grave look on his face, before returning his gaze to her. "The day after you disappeared we attempted to file a missing persons report, but the police said we couldn't until you'd been missing for 48 hours. When those 48 hours came, we filed the report, but then they said that you were an adult, so they couldn't pursue looking for you because it was probably by choice that you disappeared," He closed his eyes briefly, just before leaning forward and placing his elbows on his bent legs. His head was supported by his outstretched thumbs under his chin, while his hands were placed together in a praying position, index fingers pressed against the tip of his nose.

Sayah's mother looked over at him, helping him to continue. "We knew it wasn't by choice. We knew you'd never do that to us, so we began to ask for help, and tried to do our own investigation…well, as best we could," She moved her eyes from him to Sayah, fighting back tears, "At first, so many people offered to help. But as time went by and there were no traces of you, they stopped coming to help, until ultimately, it was just the two of us. And your best friend, Avelee. When you first disappeared, she told us you'd gotten an email from Dr. Gero. She'd originally thought it was a prank, since everyone assumed he was dead," She paused, taking a deep breath before glancing at the floor in front of her, "She was able to get into your computer the same day we told her you were missing since she knew your password, but…someone had gone in and corrupted all the files and formatted everything over 20 times. There was no trace left – if you hadn't told her about the email we would've had no idea or hint as to what had happened. Even so, we didn't know where to look since he pretty much fell off the face of the Earth."

Sayah smiled a bit as she listened, somehow remembering that her password had been the name of her first pet as a child, but didn't have time to figure out how she recalled that as she moved her attention back to her parents. As she heeded her mother's words, she felt a sick, wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. _"Dr. Gero…if you were still alive I'd make you pay for this 10 times over,"_ She thought, taking a deep breath before speaking once her mother had finished. "How were you able to find me?"

At this, Sayah's father straightened up, and the look on his face changed to one of cheerfulness. "We saw you on TV," He began, looking up at the ceiling for a moment and letting out a laugh, "Your mother and I got together to watch the Cell games, and…there you were, in the middle of that group of strange-looking men," He chuckled before looking over at Sayah, his eyes beaming with happiness.

"We were dumbfounded. At first we thought it was someone that looked like you, but sure enough, it wasn't…it was really you," Her mother added, glancing at Sayah's father, "After all those years of thinking you were dead while hoping you were alive…we knew we had to find you somehow. It took us about two months to figure out your new name, if you were working somewhere, and if so, where," She paused, tucking a strand of light brown hair with hints of grey behind her ear, "And then another month to convince Capsule Corp. to give us your address. They're very touchy about that stuff," She paused, letting out a soft laugh, "But once we were able to get in touch with Bulma Briefs and told her we were Renah and Suyen Sato, she didn't blink twice and gave us your address and how to get here."

Sayah grinned, glancing in the direction of her office room. _"Bulma must've figured it out and put two-and-two together…I'll have to thank her for that,"_ She thought, before glancing at her mother once she said their names. Her breath caught in her throat and she held back tears, recalling how long she'd wanted to remember their names, but being unable to. Her parents' names were like music to her ears, and she wiped the tears away with her index fingers, looking at her mother's kind expression.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry," She croaked out, "I didn't remember your names. I didn't remember anything at all…all I'd remembered at first was escaping from Dr. Gero's lab. I didn't even know my own name, just 'Sayah,' and I wasn't sure if that was even my name before everything happened," She paused, trying to gather herself so she could continue, "I know more now than I did 13 weeks ago, but still. I should've looked for you both, I've been so focused on rebuilding 16 that—" She froze, realizing that she'd made the mistake she had so urgently wanted to avoid.

"What happened 13 weeks ago? And what's a '16'?" Her mother asked, noticing the panicked look on Sayah's face.

"Weren't the Cell Games 13 weeks ago?" Her father pointed out, glancing at Renah before looking back to his daughter.

Sayah peeled her gaze away from her parents and looked to the side, trying to come up with a good answer to explain herself. She struggled to find the right words when she suddenly felt someone's hand on her knee, and looked back to see her mother smiling at her.

"Honey, you don't have to tell us anything you're not ready to. It's been a few years, and a lot has happened, but we're here with you now, so you can take your time. I'm just glad we found you and that you're safe," Renah spoke quietly, nodding at Sayah in reassurance.

Sayah was about to speak when she noticed that her mother's hand was missing a wedding ring. She quickly looked at her father's hands and noticed his wedding band missing, as well, and she looked up at both of them anxiously. "Where are your wedding rings?"

Renah moved her hand away hesitantly and sat up straight, nervously glancing at Suyen. The two of them exchanged a worried glance before they both looked back at her, taking a deep breath. "Your father and I…we had a hard time after you disappeared. We stayed together for a while, but eventually, we just drifted apart. We dealt with your disappearance differently, and we were better off working together as friends to find you than as a couple. It isn't your fault," She added, watching Sayah begin to cry, "It was never your fault and it never will be your fault. We love you, and we love each other, but we just aren't 'in' love. Please, darling, don't blame yourself."

Sayah placed her hands on her arms, shutting her eyes tight as she mentally cursed Dr. Gero for ripping apart her family. She felt guilty for causing them so much grief, all because she'd been naïve enough to think Dr. Gero had been a good person and truly wanted to teach her. She wiped her tears away angrily, before looking up when she heard some rustling in front of her. She watched her mother pull out an album from her purse, and looked up at her in confusion.

"I brought this in case you didn't remember us," Renah spoke softly, "It's pictures of you, and of us as a family. I'd still like to show them to you, if that's alright."

* * *

Sayah drove away from the city, past the large, skyscraping buildings and people walking on the sidewalks. She was glad that Bulma had insisted on helping her put 16 fully together, but she felt guilty that she wouldn't be the one doing it herself – Bulma had made her go home and rest from all the nonstop work she'd been doing, especially once she'd seen her in person.

" _Do you really think I'm about to let a_ _ **very**_ _pregnant woman stand here and help me with this? I don't think so. You need to go home, rest, eat some chocolate, take some bubble baths, and I'll let you know when he's ready, got it?"_

" _But…Bulma, I can't just sit here and let you do all the work – he's my brother!"_

" _Well, it's a good thing you aren't going to be sitting here, now isn't it? If you don't agree with me doing the rest of the work, for something that_ _ **I'm**_ _pretty much totally responsible for, then my lab won't be used for it at all, missy. If I'd known you were pregnant at all I would've given you more help! Go home, give me a couple of weeks or so, and_ _ **I'll**_ _call_ _ **you**_ _. Got it? Maybe I'll even have him learn to drive so he can take you around where you need to go, which right now is your house. Now GO!"_

Sayah let out a loud sigh as she recalled their meeting. When traffic came to a halt at a stoplight, she glanced down at her stomach and remembered Bulma's words – 'very pregnant woman.' It had been three months since her parents had shown at her door, and although she'd felt somewhat different and gained a small pouch of a stomach back then, she figured it'd been because she'd spent more time cooking for herself and her two furry children, so she ate a lot more, or so she'd thought. It was either that or all the ramen, she'd been sure of it. It felt like she'd ballooned in those last three months, but when she'd gone to the gynecologist (at the request of her mother) a couple of days after seeing her parents for the first time in years, she'd been told that she was just about 14 weeks. That had been 12 weeks ago, and even though she wasn't anywhere near giving birth, everyone she'd seen at work earlier while meeting with Bulma had asked her if she was due in the next few weeks. The weight she'd gained had all gone directly to her tummy, and even the doctor had told her that all those pounds were from the pregnancy, not from any other type of weight gain. She'd even joked that Sayah looked almost exactly the same as when she'd first walked in those months ago, but with a pregnant belly added on.

" _Maybe it's just a heavier baby than what other people have?"_ She wondered, suddenly startled out of her thoughts by the sound of a couple of horns honking behind her. She snapped her head up to look in the rearview mirror, seeing an angry driver behind her, and then switching to look at the stoplight that was now green. She eased her foot off of the brake and gave the car gas to move forward, letting out a tense breath as her fingers curled around the steering wheel. She drove for a few more minutes before suddenly pulling off into a different road that eventually turned to be mostly dirt and rocks, similar to the road that she took home, except this one would lead her somewhere else she'd been before.

After almost fifteen minutes, she arrived at the spot where Cell's arena had been. Her hands trembled as she parked the car closest to the area where there were familiar-looking trees, and hesitantly stepped out, closing the door before turning around. She rested her back against the side of the car for a moment, placing a hand on her round stomach and staring out at what was now just dust and rocks, remembering the grand arena Cell had made. She could almost see him still standing there, back turned towards her with his arms folded, but the image disappeared as soon as she took a step forward. She shook her head and took a deep breath, turning away from the spot and walking into the grassed area, leaving her car behind. She let muscle memory guide her, silently listening to the sounds of the animals nearby, and froze when she finally got to the spot she'd been headed to. She slipped off her sandals using only her feet and placed her bare feet on the grass, immediately feeling the moist, warm air surrounding her.

She stopped when she got close to the edge of the hot spring, looking at the sparkling, clear water. _"Just like I remembered…"_ She thought, slowly moving to sit, and using one of the taller rocks nearby for support. She lifted the hem of her white summer dress, pulling it over her knees as she scooted a few inches closer to the edge and gradually dipped her feet into the liquid, staring at the rippling waves. She smiled and leaned forward slightly, gently wading her feet to and fro inside the water, before seeing her reflection in the near distance. Her smile dropped as she stared at her reflection's eyes, and she quickly pulled back so she couldn't see it anymore, turning her head to look at the waterfall.

Memories of her and Cell unwittingly repeated themselves in her head as she stared, and tears began to fall from her eyes, her hands curling around the grass beneath them. She'd spent all her energy in the last few months putting all the pieces of 16's body together, not to mention spending what little time she had left with her parents, who came over so she didn't have to drive anywhere. Her mother had been helping her make dinner for all five of them, including Saki and Kenta, as well as helping her with whatever questions she had about her life, past and future, which didn't leave her any time to think about Cell's death. Even if deep down she felt he was alive, she had imagined he would've shown up by now, whether somewhere on Earth or at her doorstep, although she didn't take Cell to be the kind to come back just for her. Even if he didn't, although it would hurt, she knew it would make her feel better to know that he was alive and there was a chance of her seeing him again, of telling him about their child.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind she began to sob, placing her hands over her face. "Goddamn you, Cell…" she whispered, shaking her head and using her fingers to wipe away her tears. She'd never imagined that as an android she'd be able to have children, especially since she didn't know exactly what Dr. Gero had changed within her body. She would've probably known she was pregnant earlier if she still had her 'monthly women's gift,' but it seemed the good doctor had decided to get rid of that as well, among other things.

She couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her, and she paused briefly to turn her body around, just enough to glance behind her. As if on cue, a small fawn appeared from behind a tree and walked towards her, nudging her forehead slightly with her nose. This made Sayah laugh, and she wiped a tear away from her eyes, smiling. Even though she still felt like she was being watched, she figured it was by the animals around her instead of anything or anyone else. She turned back to look at her reflection in the warm water, letting out a soft sigh before moving to get up. "Just get over it, Sayah," she told herself, taking the fawn's offered help to stand, "He's dead, and he's never coming back."

She bit her lip to keep herself from shedding any more tears and walked back to where her sandals had been, putting them on halfway since they had a clasp she needed to get to. "I don't know why I keep acting like he's going to just show up one day out of the blue," She murmured, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach while walking back to her car, "If he was alive he would've shown up by now." She sighed, tucking a strand of hair that had come loose behind her ear, seeing her car a little ways ahead in the distance, "I'm saying this like he cared about me and would show up to see _me_ , of all people," She uttered, almost angrily, as she reached her car, "If he cared about me he wouldn't have gotten himself killed." She pulled the door of her car open a bit more forcefully than she meant to, seeming to almost tear it off its hinges. She stared in shock at the sight for a moment before uttering a quiet 'Oops' and getting inside, facing the trees instead of the steering wheel. With some difficulty, she reached forward and undid the clasp on her shoe, before fitting it correctly around her ankle and clasping it again, setting her foot on the ground. She heaved a sigh before doing the same with her other sandal, and finally turning and getting in the car facing forward, being a lot more careful with the car's door this time. "I hope 16 is done soon so he can help me put on shoes when I can't do it myself anymore," She groaned, turning the car on and heading back home.

* * *

Sayah turned and looked at her mother, who was packing a few snacks in a lunch bag. "Come on mom, we don't want to be late!" She called to her, seeing her mother hurry before grabbing the bag and her purse, heading for the door.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I just know how hungry you'll get on the way there and back," Renah replied, helping her daughter into the car, "Baby gets hungry too. You're eating for two now," she said with a smile, closing the passenger door before getting into the driver's seat. "What do you think Dr. Moire wants to tell you?"

Sayah shrugged, looking at her mom instead of out the window like she'd just been doing. "I'm not sure. She said it was really important, though, which is why she had me come in suddenly before my next scheduled appointment," she replied, turning her head forward and setting the back of it against the headrest of the seat, closing her eyes. "I just hope it's nothing bad…I don't need anything else negative happening in my life," She spoke quietly, barely whispering the last part in hopes her mother hadn't heard her.

Renah turned and glanced at her daughter briefly, a sad look on her face before turning back to the road. "Sayah, I want to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth."

" _Shit."_ Sayah thought, her body tensing slightly as she opened her eyes and turned to look at her mother. "Okay…what is it?" She asked hesitantly, having an overbearing feeling about what her mother would ask. Over the last few weeks she'd opened up to her parents and told them about what Dr. Gero had really done to her – turning her into an android – as well as about 16 and the fact that he was her brother, and someone she really cared about. She'd told them the memories she could recall about them two, as well as about Mira, who'd taken her in when she escaped. They'd also had the chance to meet Mira and thank her, but even as they had all exchanged memories and information, she still hadn't told them about her time with Cell.

"Who is the father of your baby?" Renah asked simply, keeping her eyes on the road. She didn't want to intimidate her daughter by staring at her.

Sayah gulped, scrambling to come up with an answer, and spitting out the first thing that came to her mind. "It was, uh, a sperm donor. You know, artificial insemination. Hey, is it really hot in here all of a sudden?" She mumbled, turning the car's A/C on and pretending she was busy messing with the vents.

Renah gave her daughter an unimpressed and unamused look before turning her head forward once more. "Sayah, you may not remember this but you've always been a terrible liar," she retorted, seeing her daughter sink into the seat – as if hoping it would eat her up whole – out of the corner of her eye. "I have an idea who it is, but I want to hear it from you. I'm not going to think any differently of you or judge you, if that's what you're worried about. And we can keep it from your father until he's ready to know, if you want."

Sayah let out the stifled breath she'd been holding and placed her hands on her stomach, glancing down at her extended, round belly. She stared, gently rubbing her thumbs to and fro before turning to look at her mother, a sad smile on her face. "Cell. It was Cell…"

Renah's hands tensed around the steering wheel at the prospect that the so-called murderer could've touched her daughter against her will. But when she glanced over at her, the look in Sayah's face made the tension disappear, and relief stood in its place. She didn't know what had transpired between the two, but something told her that Sayah had somehow been able to get through the killer's hard exterior and find a way to his heart. It was the only way she could see this being consensual.

"Did you care about him?"

Sayah had turned back to the window while her mother had been thinking, and exhaled quietly before turning back to look at her again. "Yes," She said without doubt or hesitation, "I did. A lot more than I'd like to admit sometimes," she paused briefly, glancing at her tummy once more, "because I never got to know if he felt the same way before he…passed," she managed to croak out, quickly wiping her tears away on a tissue she grabbed from the package in the center console. She felt her mother place a hand on top of her own and looked at her, blinking the remaining tears away.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. No matter what, I'm here to help and support you in any way you need. You have more than just yourself to think about now, and your love for him can live on with this child," Renah replied, smiling at her daughter's nod of response before turning back to face the wheel and parking the car. Although she couldn't say she was happy about Sayah's choice of company she didn't know the exact circumstances around how they'd met, or how they'd spent their time together, although she vaguely remembered Cell mentioning Dr. Gero. If there was one thing she could say, however, is that the monster must've had _some_ good in him to care enough for Sayah as to not kill her or take advantage of her.

With this in mind, Renah stepped out and walked over to the passenger side, helping Sayah up and out before closing the door and locking the car behind them. She hoped the news they'd be hearing would only be positive – she completely agreed that Sayah sure as hell didn't need anything else going wrong in her life.

Sayah walked up to the door and knocked, smiling when she was greeted by her doctor's nurse. They've been using the back door to let her in and out of the clinic, mainly at Sayah's request, because she didn't want anyone seeing her or trying to talk to her about her 'appearance' on TV. In fact, she'd chosen this gynecologist specifically because she'd been the only one who _hadn't_ mentioned something about it in one form or another, and over the past three months, she'd grown to trust her, especially because Dr. Moire went out of her way to accommodate her for such things and seemed to genuinely care about her and the baby, not about who the father was. All Sayah had told Dr. Moire was that the father was deceased, and that had been more than enough for the doctor.

She was quickly placed in a room with her mother to wait for her, and Sayah turned to look at Renah nervously before feeling the latter grab her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. She normally got the first appointment of the day, sometimes even before the clinic was supposed to open, so she could arrive and depart in peace, without anyone bothering her. She couldn't wait for the hype about the Cell Games to be over…

"Hi Sayah, Renah, nice to see you both again!" The doctor quipped after stepping inside and closing the door. "No dad today?" She asked, looking over at Sayah, who knew exactly who she was talking about.

"No, he's at work. The appointment was a surprise so he didn't have enough time to ask off," Sayah replied, laughing a bit before turning to her mother, "Mom told them she had to drive me so they gave her a half day off, she's going to go in later today," she grinned, looking back at the doctor and taking a deep breath when she pulled up a rolling stool to sit in front of her.

"You have great parents, kiddo," Dr. Moire replied, approaching Sayah and doing the usual routine checks of her eyes, legs, and everywhere else that was a concern on a pregnant woman's body. When she was done, she rolled back a little and looked at Sayah, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Now, don't worry, but we have to change our entire approach to your pregnancy," She spoke, serious in her tone but her face still smiling.

"What? Why?!" Sayah and her mother cried in unison, just before Sayah placed her hands protectively on her stomach.

Dr. Moire scooted a bit closer and took Sayah's hands in her own, looking straight into her eyes before grinning. "Congratulations! You're having twins!" She said excitedly, letting Sayah's hands go before she rolled over to a desk with some papers on it, "I'm going to give you some literature on what to expect, and I'm doubling some of your medications to accommodate for both babies," She turned and glanced at Sayah, who still sat with her jaw almost to the floor, and let out a soft chuckle, "Don't worry, kiddo. You'll be fine. If you keep going how you have been, your babies will be as healthy as can be when they're delivered," she placed the papers in a folder for Sayah to take, before rolling over and handing them to Renah. "But I do want you to know that there are some risks associated with having twins instead of a singleton, and all those are also in the literature I'm giving you. Don't freak out – we _have_ to tell you so you're informed, even if the chances are slim. But as soon as I found out about the twins, I asked my husband, who is also a gyno, to assist me with the delivery. You'll be in good hands, I promise." She stood, putting her hands on her hips. "You still need to come in for your first ultrasound next week so we can determine both babies' gender, and you'll have to see me more often so we can keep a close eye on them. Do you have any questions?" She asked, watching Sayah give her a dazed head shake 'no' before walking forward and giving her and her mother a hug, one right after the other. "If you have any issues, call me. You have my cell," She walked toward the door, giving them both a small wave before heading out. "You're good to go, kiddo. Go celebrate! Get some of the best steak and your favorite dessert. You're eating for _three_ now!" She winked before opening the door and walking out, leaving a stunned Sayah and excited Renah in her wake.

" _Twins!_ " Renah exclaimed eagerly, gently shaking Sayah's arm, "We've never had any twins in either of our families – mine or your father's!" She added, standing up and helping Sayah to her feet. She smiled sadly as she looked at her daughter's face, full of mixed emotions and uncertainty, and suddenly gave her a hug, as close as she could get with Sayah's belly in between them. "Sayah, you will be okay, I promise. Your father and I are here to help you, and once your brother 16 is ready, he will too," she added, knowing that Sayah thought very highly of her sibling, and that he was the only one who could relate to her in certain aspects of her life. She slowly released her and smiled at Sayah's now content expression, just before the both of them walked out of the clinic and to the car.

* * *

" _If I could, I'd bring Cell back to life just to kill him again,"_ Sayah thought angrily, standing outside in her balcony, _"He's so selfish, and did the complete opposite of what I asked him, purely for personal gain and pleasure. If he'd survived, I would've yelled at him for hours, I swear…"_ She let out a tired sigh, resting her elbows on the wide ledge and placing her face in her hands. _"How am I going to explain this to my_ _ **kids**_ _, who will have to grow up without a father? How do I tell them that their father was a mass murderer created by a mad scientist, the same mad scientist that kidnapped their mother and turned her into an android, too?"_ She moved her hands to rest atop her head, fingers deep in her hair as she contemplated. _"The easiest and maybe best answer is that I don't tell them…anything. All they need to know is that their father passed away before they were born, and that their mother loves them more than they can imagine. Even though this wasn't planned and I didn't even think I could have children…they feel like a miracle to me. They'll be the embodiment of the good that was in Cell, of all the times he showed he cared about someone other than just himself. I wouldn't be in this situation otherwise,"_ she exhaled slowly before standing up straight again and resting her left hand on the ledge, reaching over and grabbing the wine glass that was filled with apple juice. She'd run out of glasses to use for her beverages earlier that day, especially since she was using more and more dishes as she consumed more food and drinks, like juices and water. Normally her mom helped her with this, but she'd been tied up having to stay late at work, so Sayah had just done it herself. She felt like she could've gone through the pregnancy by herself if she absolutely had to, but she couldn't describe how thankful she was that her parents were there to help her.

She took a slow, deliberate sip, afterward holding the glass in the air in her hand, staring out into the darkness. She hadn't been able to sleep very well the past couple of days after being told the news, and she often found herself standing in the same spot Cell had on her balcony, looking out into the space before her in silence. _"I keep thinking he's just going to show up and talk to me like nothing ever happened,"_ She mused, slowly raising her gaze to look up at the sky and admiring the twinkling stars, trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to spill over. She lifted the glass she'd been holding to her lips and took another drink, enjoying the cool temperature and cider taste of the juice, all while trying to clear her mind of thoughts of Cell.

"Sayah, I never pegged you as someone who'd move on to another male so quickly like a harlot."

Sayah, shocked, inadvertently let go of the glass in her hand and it fell to the floor, shattering immediately upon impact. Her body stiffened in surprise and fear, the latter mainly because of the anger in the voice she'd just heard.

"And even you should know better than to imbibe while expecting, even if it is with a _human_ man's child."

Sayah felt her anger rise at that last statement, and in a sudden whirl she turned around to face the person she'd been silently hoping to see most: Cell. Her wrath at his words overpowered the happiness she felt at seeing he was alive, and part of her still wondered if she was just dreaming everything as he approached her, meeting the fury in his fuchsia eyes with the ire in her emerald ones. Her breath caught in her throat as he now stood before her, and she blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill, not wanting him to feel like he'd won by making her cry.

Before she even realized what she'd done, her body seemed to move without her directing it, her right hand raising and slapping him across the face as hard as she could, leaving a deep red imprint and a few scratches on his usually-flawless skin. Small beads of blood bubbled up from the wounds, and she felt herself breathing as heavily as if she'd just ran a half marathon. Her left hand rested protectively atop her stomach the entire time, and she slowly lowered the hand she'd just slapped him with to her side, rage evident in her face and in her eyes. Her body didn't have enough time to process what came next, and suddenly she was almost face-to-face with Cell, her body pressed against his as he held her tight by the arms against the balcony's ledge. The only obstacle between them was her round, pregnant belly, and she showed no fear as she turned her eyes up to look at him, a resentful grimace on her usually happy face.

"Whose child is it?!" Cell yelled at her, his skin healing itself immediately as he glanced down at her stomach with repugnance. He'd only been gone a few months and Sayah had already "moved on," as the pathetic humans called it, not to mention become pregnant by this person, which infuriated him to the core. "Tell me, and I'll tear him apart piece by piece before your very eyes," he growled menacingly, his ire currently overpowering his feelings for her.

Sayah couldn't believe what was happening, and even though she felt pain in her arms from Cell's iron grip, she couldn't help but feel like this was a dream, like an out-of-body experience. As he talked, she bit her bottom lip in an effort to keep herself from crying, not wanting him to have the grim satisfaction. "You want to know who the father of these _children_ is?" She whispered bitterly, knowing he wouldn't have any issues hearing her, "Okay Cell, you look in the mirror and tell me."

Cell froze temporarily as her words stung his pride before sinking into his brain, never breaking their stare. _"That's not possible…"_ He rationalized, his grip on her arms slowly loosening and his rage seeming to disappear without a trace, leaving a bundle of mixed feelings in its wake. He knew, deep down, that she wasn't lying to him, but he still couldn't fathom the prospect of having children, much less the ability to do so – had Dr. Gero given him this capability, or had it evolved with him as his body had?

His mind raced with numerous thoughts, none of which he focused on long enough to develop, as he stared into Sayah's bright, watery eyes, feeling lower than dirt for having accused her of such a vulgar thing. The entire time he'd been gone, his mind had been battling between thoughts of her and memories of the tournament, and he'd finally settled on coming back for her, risking the fact that he might be detected by Goku's offspring or any of his friends despite his best efforts at cloaking himself. He knew he should apologize but didn't know how or where to begin, mainly because he'd never needed to, nor _thought_ he needed to, ask forgiveness from anyone.

His troubled notions were cut short when he felt Sayah gently push him aside to walk past, and he turned to follow her movements with his eyes, still speechless at the news he'd just received. He watched her silently, a mix of emotions flooding his mind as she sat on the edge of her bed, staring solemnly at the floor. He approached her slowly, standing in the spot she was staring at, and scrambled for the right combination of words to say to save himself. "Sayah, I'm—"

"Save it, Cell. I don't want to hear it," She whispered, her voice now exuding more sadness and disappointment than anger. She felt him reach for her chin and cup it in his hand, trying to make her look at him, but she instantly turned her head free and reached up with her own hand, smacking his away. "Don't touch me. I don't even want you near me right now."

Cell wanted to be angry at her for treating him this way, but deep down he knew he had no right to, considering what he'd just said to her. He slowly crouched down to one knee and tried to meet her gaze, but she turned her face away from him and shut her eyes. He struggled to figure out the right combination of words and actions to get her to smile at him again, his mind recalling the way she'd looked at him so caringly before his tournament began.

"I've been hoping to see you for so long, waiting like an idiot for the day I might even just catch a glimpse of you again, refusing to believe you were dead, yet trying to come to terms with the fact that you were," Sayah uttered quietly, finally leveling his eyes with her own, "I wanted you to be alive. I didn't care how long it took for you to come back as long as you did, so I could see you, so you could see _us_ ," she added, her green eyes shining with impending tears, "I was willing to wait my whole life if I had to. I cared about you, I always have, I told you that…how could you think that of me?"

Cell listened to her noiselessly, silently kicking himself for saying that to her when deep down he'd known better, allowing his ire to fuel his words. He'd wanted to talk to her when he'd found her at the hot spring those few days earlier, but had kept himself hidden when he'd noticed she was pregnant, not really sure what to do or think. He'd taken the time between then and now to deliberate and convince himself that there was no possibility that Dr. Gero had given him such an ability, and because of his conclusion, he'd become enraged at the fact that Sayah had been with someone else, and was having their _child_ , to top it off. He'd made the decision to confront her earlier that day, knowing he couldn't keep himself away from her and from watching her as well, wanting to see what she'd say to explain herself once he met with her face to face. The more he thought of it, the more he realized his anger had clouded his rational thinking – he was made up of DNA from all the strongest fighters in the universe, which included Saiyans; if they could have children, then it was probable that he could as well. He'd never bothered to think about it because he'd never expected nor thought he'd meet someone that he'd be interested in, much less be intimate with.

When she finished speaking, he peeled her gaze away from her shamefully, trying to think of a way to explain himself and recover his pride. He looked directly in front of him at her pregnant belly, and without thinking he reached up and placed both his hands on it gently, staring at it in awe. He took a deep breath, feeling the two life forces inside her, and was about to speak when someone else beat him to it.

"Sayah? Are you here?"

Both Cell and Sayah turned their heads towards the balcony so quickly it was surprising they didn't snap off their necks. Cell recognized the voice immediately and grimaced as he tentatively moved his hands off of her, slowly moving to stand. He realized that in his incensed stupor he might've briefly stopped cloaking his ki, and because of that, possibly alerted those that recognized it to his presence back on Earth.

Sayah stood up as well, glancing at Cell and noticing his unhappy demeanor. She moved past him hastily and walked to the balcony, avoiding the spot where she'd dropped the glass with apple juice and looked over the railing, seeing one of Goku's and 16's friends near her front door. "Krillin?" She called out in confusion, never moving her eyes from the small man as he flew up to the balcony and hovered in front of her.

"Hey! I'm sorry to bother you so late, but uh…we kind of sensed Cell's energy around here, so we got a little spooked and I came to check it out. He's not…here, is he?" He asked, glancing over Sayah's shoulder behind her into the bedroom, then looking at her again.

Sayah froze at his statement, chills running up her spine when he peeked behind her. She let out an internal sigh of relief when he looked back at her, though, and realized Cell must've hidden himself somewhere out of sight. "No," she replied, unconsciously placing her hands on her belly and pretending to look at him in confusion, "Isn't he dead?"

Krillin watched her and glanced down when her hands moved, now noticing her pregnant tummy that had been partly hidden by the balcony's wide ledge. His eyes widened, and he nodded in response, meeting her gaze again with a smile. "Wow, congratulations! Who's the lucky guy?"

Sayah followed his eyes to her stomach and silently panicked, saying the first thing that came to her mind, the same thing that she'd already practiced telling everyone else that had asked. "He, um, passed away…" She said quietly, rubbing her thumbs soothingly over it before looking back at him, giving him a small smile.

"Oh I see, I'm sorry to hear that," Krillin nodded at her, smiling in return as his mind wandered. _"But we brought everyone Cell killed back with the Dragon Balls,"_ He thought, eyebrows furrowing, _"Oh wait, maybe he wasn't killed by Cell…yeah, that must be it. It makes sense."_ He gave Sayah a smile before turning to where he'd come from, "Alright, well, I'll leave you be. Sorry to bother you! Congrats, again!" He quickly waved at her before taking off further up into the sky, leaving without a trace.

Sayah let out a relieved breath and placed a hand over her heart, closing her eyes. _"That was close,"_ she thought, turning quickly before stepping back into her room, only to notice that Cell was nowhere in sight. "Cell?" she called out softly, standing in the middle of the room and waiting for him to reveal himself. When he didn't, she bit her lip to keep her eyes from watering and sighed sadly, _"Damn hormones, I'm too emotional...but, am I hallucinating? I couldn't be if Krillin showed up…right?"_ she wondered, walking to her door when she heard scratching. _"I don't remember closing this door, though…I'm positive I didn't,"_ she thought, opening it and laughing when a happy Saki came bundling out from behind with Kenta on her back. The pup then jumped onto Sayah's bed and sat on it, wagging her tail as Kenta jumped off of her and onto the soft sheets, purring as he sat next to the happy dog. "Hi guys! I'm sorry if I locked you out! I've never done that before," she laughed slightly, pulling her bed sheets aside and slowly slipping under them, exhaling contently. She took one last thoughtful, wary look around the room before she heaved a sigh and laid down on her side, Saki curling up behind her legs and Kenta climbing up to rest by her chest. _"I couldn't have imagined all of that…could I?"_


End file.
